What Could Have Been
by JasonHRAC
Summary: How would the future be different if the Mother Elf protected the Four Guardians as well as Zero from Omega's explosion? There would be many different changes that may change the future radically, whether for the best or not. On hold.
1. What Should Have Been

What Could Have Been

Disclaimer: **All characters, including Mega Man Zero, Omega, Ciel, Dr. Weil, the Four Guardians, and Mega Man X, belong to Capcom.**

"But…how…?" Zero stared in utter confusion at the sight of Omega. Or rather, himself. His true self. The warrior could hear Dr. Weil's cackling.

"Fool! Believe it! You're nothing more than a copy! An imperfect facsimile of the real, indestructible Zero!" Dr. Weil said. Zero wished he'd die from his own laughter.

Zero gritted his teeth. "No. You're wrong. The heart is what counts. X knows that I'm the real Zero. I may be in a copy body, but I'm still the real one." He pointed a finger at Omega. "You're just a tool. I defeated you once, and I'll defeat you again, scum."

Omega grinned. "I am the messiah! I am the God of Destruction! I will lead the reploid race to salvation of destruction. I WILL RULE EVERYTHING. I WILL DESTROY YOU!" Omega laughed insanely, and Zero gritted his teeth, tightly gripping his saber.

"Beat it, dipshit."

The two warriors got into their battle stances, activating their sabers and Buster Shots. Zero was nervous, despite the fact that he probably had the advantages in terms of tech, like the Ultimate Foot Chip.

Zero dashed right through Omega, swinging his saber around, hoping to instantly slice off the opponent's head. Omega deftly ducked, and swung his leg around, sweeping Zero. However, before Zero's body could even hit the ground, Omega performed a Ryuenjin with his saber, fire burning Zero's armor and sending him flying back.

"This is a hopeless fight, Zero. Give up and save yourself the humiliation of dying in battle. Surrender, so I can get this over with."

"Fuck off." Zero growled, putting on a more defensive stance than before.

Omega slammed his fist into the ground, and then there was a shockwave. Zero immediately knew what he was doing. Omega was performing a Rekkouha. Pellets of energy flew around the arena. Several shots managed to graze Zero's armor, but for the most part, he managed to dodge the attack fairly well.

"My turn." X spent some time retraining Zero and reteaching him some powers, like the Hyouretsuzan and the Hadangeki. Zero dashed towards Omega with a Shipuuga, which increased his speed. This took Omega by surprise a bit, so he was unable to dodge. After the Shipuuga was done, Zero jumped in the air, slamming his saber downwards, performing a Quake Blazer, which set his saber on fire. The Quake Blazer was like a downwards mid-air version of the Ryuenjin. Omega was sent flying back, but he got up like it was nothing. "Come on! Can't the legendary Zero do any better?"

Zero dashed towards Omega, swinging his saber. Omega deftly blocked, smirking. He tried to counter with a Shipuuga, but Zero wasn't even done attacking. Before Omega could perform the move, Zero merely spun around, slamming his foot into Omega's face.

As Omega flew to the side, he rolled to the side, drenched from the water on the ground. Omega swung his saber, firing a Hadangeki projectile. Zero quickly charged up his Buster Shot, firing a shot at the projectile, causing it to dissipate.

"Done warming up yet?" Zero asked, getting slightly confident.

"My full power will annihilate you. I've toyed with you for long enough. Prepare yourself, fool! SOGENMU!" A gray clone of Omega appeared behind Zero, who blocked an attack.

The real Omega dashed towards Zero, saber tight in grip. As he prepared to strike, Zero jumped out of the way, giving him space. The red reploid scowled, realizing he was getting a little tired. _Dammit. Not yet. Not now._

Zero decided to go on the offensive, dashing towards the maverick and his clone. However, he let his guard down, and Omega easily dodged, countering with a stab. Zero gasped in pain, and Omega slammed his foot into Zero, knocking him into the wet ground on his back.

"Damn…I…I can't fail. Not yet…"

Omega laughed. "Fool. You never had any chance at beating me. Had X still have his physical form, then maybe you would've had a chance. Farewell, Zero."

BANG.

A fireball slammed into Omega's chest, knocking him back several feet. Zero turned his head to see the guardians. Fighting Fefnir had just shot a fireball at Omega, saving Zero's life.

"Come on. Get up!" Sage Harpuia ordered, before flying towards Omega. Harpuia slashed at Omega about two times, before flying back. Fairy Leviathan helped Zero up carefully.

Then Zero felt an aura of light. X. Omega was on his knees now, gritting his teeth. Leviathan reluctantly let go of Zero, who stumbled to his knees as well, though he slowly got up, clutching his wound.

"What? NO! This isn't possible! This can't happen!" Dr. Weil yelled in disbelief.

"You were right to believe in me, Zero, though I don't think I needed to tell you that, did I?"

Zero was too weak to talk, so he saved his energy by simply shaking his head. Fefnir handed Zero his saber. "Come on. You can do this."

Then The Dark Elf emerged. Only…its glow was a bright light, instead of a dark aura. "The curse of Weil has been broken." X stated.

"NO! The Dark Elf is my slave! She cannot disobey me!" Dr. Weil yelled once more, desperate.

Fefnir grunted in annoyance. "Shut it, old man. It's time you get what you deserve."

The Dark Elf, or rather, the Mother Elf, flew over Zero, X, and the Guardians. "Zero…" It said softly.

Zero felt a surge of strength go through his body. Sage Harpuia put a hand on the warrior's shoulder. "Kill him. Then we can end Weil's evil for good." Zero nodded in agreement, and dashed.

SLASH!

The explosion was immense. Nothing nearby could've survived unless they were protected. And that was what happened. The Mother Elf managed to protect the heroes from Omega's explosion, though they fell unconscious. The Resistance found the heroes and carried them back to the base.

Zero awoke with a headache. He tried to get up, but he heard a gasp, and he felt arms hug him, and he was pushed back down by accident. He grunted in surprise, but he instantly knew what happened.

Ciel never left Zero's side. She was excited to see him okay. So excited that she couldn't resist hugging him. After all, she was only 15. As smart as she was, she was still a young girl.

"Zero! You're okay! I'm so glad!" Ciel shrieked, as Zero gritted his teeth in pain, realizing he had a massive body ache. Ciel realized this, and sheepishly let him go. "S-Sorry. You're still healing."

The crimson warrior nodded. "What…happened?"

Ciel sat down in a chair next to Zero's bed. "Apparently, the explosion from Omega nearly killed you all. But the Mother Elf saved you. We found you and the guardians, and here we are."

"Where's X?"

"I saw him around. But you should rest just a little bit more before walking."

Zero reluctantly nodded. "Fine…wait, did you say you also found the guardians?"

The girl nodded. "Yes. Fefnir and Leviathan are already awake, but it might take a little longer for Harpuia to wake up. We'll see. The point is, you all survived."

"Ciel, is Omega gone for good now?"

"So it seems. The explosion was, well, big. However, Weil is still out there. We need to find him soon. And hopefully, the guardians will cooperate. With Copy X dead and the real X here, maybe they'll listen. Maybe we can work together."

Zero shrugged. "Let's hope so…"

After a few more minutes, Zero eventually got up. "Where are the guardians anyway?"

"Just in the next door."

The red reploid nodded. "Thanks." Zero made his way to the next door, where he saw X and the guardians, even Harpuia, who had awoken. Fefnir was leaning on the wall with his arms crossed, Leviathan sitting on her bed, and Harpuia standing up, with X standing in front of him.

"…so you must understand, the Resistance is not the enemy. I trust Zero with my life. What's left of it, anyway."

Harpuia couldn't help but scowl. "But, Master X, they opposed you—"

"They did not," X cut in, "They opposed my copy, who we will not speak up. It was a mistake that I had to think of an idea like that. I regret asking Ciel to build the damned robot for me. But now, he's gone. I would've personally preferred to rule Neo Arcadia, but I did what had to be done."

Harpuia scowled some more, deciding to change the subject. "Are you sure we can really trust the resistance? And Zero?"

"Zero is a good reploid. His past makes him what he is, but I assure you that he is trustworthy."

Zero decided to finally speak. "I can speak for myself. You always were the fatherly type, X."

X raised an eyebrow as Zero entered the room. "What can I say? I'm a lover, not a fighter."

"Oh, yeah. Just like how you loved Alia."

If cyber-elves could blush, X would've been redder than Zero's armor. "Well, that's not fair. It's not like she came on to me or something. She was just…y'know. It still happened anyway."

Zero couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Took you a while though."

Harpuia cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but I thought we were discussing serious matters."

"And what serious matters were you talking about? I'd love to know."

Fefnir shrugged. "I ain't payin' attention."

Leviathan smiled, winking at Zero. "Well, to answer your question, Zero, we were just discussing how lovely you and the Resistance are."

Harpuia glared at his sister, before looking at X again. "Master X, you still haven't explained to me why you're leaving. For good."

Zero's eyes widened in surprise. "You're leaving?"

X sighed. "Yes. My energy is almost all spent. I won't be able to be in this world anymore for much longer. So I just wanted to say my goodbyes, and how I want my children to trust you, as I have trusted you, Zero."

"But…Master X…what about the energy crisis? That was the whole reason why Copy X decided exterminating the reploids."

"Indeed, but we'll find a way. Like a great human said once, a true leader only uses violence as a last resort. Trust me. Harpuia, you are the wisest reploid I know. In your heart, I know that you're just like me, but you're still young and brash, looking for the easiest way. But know that the easiest way is not always the best way."

The cyber-elf laid his hand on his "son's" shoulder. Harpuia closed his eyes, sighing. "You may call me wise, Master X, but no one will ever be as wise as you were."

X chuckled slightly. "That's not what I heard two centuries ago, but that's nice to hear." Then he faced Zero. "Take good care of them, Zero. They're all I have left."

Zero nodded. Then a portal appeared beside X, who turned, and faced it, walking towards it. Harpuia spoke up again. "Be well, Master X."

X smiled. "Don't call me your master. You are independent. You have no master. You are Sage Harpuia, a proud warrior of peace and justice. Fight well." And then he disappeared forever.


	2. The Caravan

What Could Have Been  
>Chapter 2: The Caravan<br>**DISCLAIMER: Mega Man Zero does not belong to me. The entire Mega Man franchise belongs to Capcom. Duh.  
>AN: Okay, instead of actually doing the epilogues for Redemption, which you should totally check out, I decided to do this first. Enjoy.**

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><p>The barren desert was peacefully quiet. Well, except for the caravan being chased by the flying reploids. A female human with red hair gritted her teeth, glaring at the driver. "Move faster, dammit!"<p>

"Too bad we had to pick the slow vehicle!"

"Just shut up and drive!"

Meanwhile, a trailer was driving close to the caravan. The scientist Ciel was driving it, while the Guardians and Zero stood on top of it, waiting for their chance to strike…

Sage Harpuia narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what these reploids are doing here, but it doesn't matter right now. Everyone, jump!"

They did so, and immediately got the Mavericks' attention. Before the hostiles could get a chance to shoot them, they were easily gunned down by a trigger-happy Fighting Fefnir. "Alright! Back in business, baby!"

Zero glared at Fefnir. "Stay focused. Remember, Fefnir, the main objective is to rescue the civilians."

Fefnir, in response, rolled his eyes. "Nag, nag, nag. Geez, you can sound so much like Phantom and Harpuia sometimes! Let's just go already!"

"Fine by me," Fairy Leviathan grunted, "Say, how about Zero and I take care of the hostages while you and Harpuia just go ahead and shoot down the Mavericks?" She continued, smiling at Zero flirtatiously.

Sage Harpuia sliced a Maverick in half, looking at his sister. "There aren't any hostages. Not really. The Mavericks are making their way inside the caravan as we speak. We need to move now. As a team."

Zero dashed forward, using his newly-constructed Z-Knuckle and took a flamethrower's shield away, bashing the machine away with it. "He's right. We need to hurry. Let's go. Now."

"We're right behind you, Zero," Sage Harpuia said.

It wasn't difficult at all to fight the Mavericks. In fact, Zero felt that he could've taken them all on by himself. Weil obviously didn't care much for a few people fleeing Neo Arcadia, so he only sent a few of his reploids to deal with it.

He clearly didn't count on Zero and the Guardians coming to the aid of these people. When Fefnir thought they were done, he groaned when a tank came from the sand, making its way in front of the caravan. The four reploids jumped on the vehicle, obviously intending to destroy it.

Harpuia was caught off-guard, and received a blast to the head. He gritted his teeth in anger, dashing towards the reploid and slashing at it three times. He twitched slightly, causing him to momentarily lose balance and stagger a bit.

Zero turned to his comrade. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Harpuia growled, "Let's keep on moving. On the double."

As they made their way into the core, Harpuia was caught off-guard yet again when the inner core blasted several rays at him. The rays knocked him into the wall, his head crashing brutally against the wall. He twitched again, this time a small surge of electricity surrounding his head briefly, before dissipating.

He rolled out of the way of several more rays, before glaring at his brother and sister. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. Fefnir, make a fine example of Rule #998."

Fefnir ducked, dodging a plasma blast from a crawler reploid, which was immediately destroyed by him. The reploid looked at his brother, looking as if he was dumbfounded. "Are you sure? I can take this no problem—"

"Do it. Now." Harpuia said firmly, sending a chill down Fefnir's spine.

Fairy Leviathan looked questionably at her brothers. "What kind of code is that?" Before she could get an answer, she felt her arm suddenly grabbed by Fefnir, who then rested his elbow against her back.

"Sorry, sis. If only you passed the aptitude test, you'd understand so you'd be able to object."

Zero instantly realized what Harpuia was making Fefnir doing; he was making him use Leviathan as a human (reploid, technically) shield. His eyes widened, and he did the first thing that went into his mind. The core fired another burst of rays, and the following events happened in a flash.

Zero dashed Leviathan out of the way, and Fefnir barely had enough time to leap out of the way. Before Harpuia could get angry at Zero, he was ambushed by several crawlers. As Fefnir got up, he scratched his helmet. "Dammit, I knew this was a bad idea! I just gotta be the sheep, don't I?"

The crimson knight dodged another set of rays, before jumping and penetrating the core of the tank with his Z-Saber. Soon enough, explosions started appearing. Zero took Leviathan in his arms, the female still in shock that she was used as a shield before quickly being saved. Zero ran out, as did Harpuia and Fefnir.

They landed safely just in front of the explosion. The caravan swerved past them, but quickly stopped. Inside, the red-headed human took her foot off the brake pedal, and her friend's foot. "We need to see if the caravan is damaged."

"I think you broke my toe," whined the human's friend.

The redhead ignored him, and walked outside. She didn't get a close look of the people who saved her. Her friends, Tornado and Brise, stepped outside as well.

"It looks like everyone's okay," came a gruff voice. "I'm surprised to see someone crazy enough to drive around in the middle of nowhere."

The human turned around and saw a red reploid with a blonde ponytail. She scowled. "Do you always give lectures to the people you save?" However, she quickly lightened up. "Well, thanks anyway."

Three other reploids came out of nowhere. The Guardians. Fefnir smiled, scratching his head. "It was nothing…"

Tornado grabbed the redhead's arm. "Neige, we don't have time for this. Let's go!"

"You're right, but there's always time to say thank you. I don't want the Reploids thinking we're ungrateful. Prepare to leave. I'll be there soon," the human named Neige said.

Tornado reluctantly let go. "Alright. No good can come of dealing with Reploids…" And then he and Brise walked back into the caravan, awaiting Neige.

Fairy Leviathan rolled her eyes. "Well, aren't we cranky today?"

Zero ignored Leviathan, being surprised to know that these people were actually human. "You're…you're human?"

Neige smiled. "Yes. What, are humans outside Neo Arcadia rare?"

Sage Harpuia crossed his arms, frowning. "Indeed. I suspect there's a reason why you're fleeing?"

Before Neige could answer, Ciel's truck stopped right behind the reploids, before she got out. "Zero! Are you guys alright?"

The redhead's eyes widened in surprise. "Zero?"

Ciel examined the caravan. "It looks like you and the vehicle are safe. Good job."

"And it's all thanks to your team, Dr. Ciel."

"Huh? How did you know who I am?"

"I'm Neige. I'm also human, as are my friends. I used to be a journalist who traveled the world. I've heard about the legendary Zero, and the resistance led by you. You're also apparently supposed to be extremely dangerous."

Ciel frowned. "Dangerous? We don't intend to hurt—"

She was quickly interrupted by Fefnir. "You got something you wanna say to my face, human?" Before Fefnir could take a step forward, Leviathan grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

Zero scowled, though this was his usual expression anyway. "We don't want any strange rumors being spread about us."

"There won't be. I'm just telling you what I've heard. Well, I've got to get going now. I'll see you around."

Ciel was puzzled. "Going? Where are you going?"

"Repeating Harpuia's question, why don't you just stay in Neo Arcadia?" Zero added.

"Stay?" This apparently angered Neige. "That place changed drastically after Weil took over. There's a reason we were being attacked. He didn't want us running away. It doesn't matter whether you're human or Reploid. You'll still be treated like shit if you oppose him."

"The evil Dr. Weil who was driven away from Neo Arcadia decades ago controls everything there all because a certain "legendary hero" defeated the previous ruler of Neo Arcadia! Neo Arcadia is no longer a sanctuary! It's Hell on Earth!'

Ciel's eyes widened in shock. "Then…then that means what we did was…" She couldn't even finish her sentence.

"The humans are afraid of being "removed" by Dr. Weil, so he rules Neo Arcadia unchecked."

"Well, isn't that dandy?" Fighting Fefnir muttered."

"We're heading for the settlement in Area Zero."

"There's a human settlement in Area Zero?" Fairy Leviathan asked.

"We'll go with you," Ciel said, "Who knows when Weil will strike next?"

Neige put on an uncomfortable expression. "Well, the thing is, you're human, so you're good, but Reploids are unwelcome. Especially so-called war heroes for you guys."

Sage Harpuia scoffed. "What's that supposed to mean, human?"

"The settlement is full of people who were caught up in the Reploid wars, whether it was the Maverick Wars from 2 centuries ago, or the Elf Wars decades ago, so you can imagine they don't like Reploids that much. Especially the ones who think they know best. But I promise I won't tell the humans who you guys are. I suppose I'll talk to you guys later."

As Neige walked away, Zero crossed his arms. "Humans. That's a first…"

"Yeah. I never expected them to be hostile," Leviathan added.

"In their eyes, we're probably just headstrong morons who only know how to fight, and nothing else." Fefnir said.

Harpuia shook his head a bit. "We are just. We were created by Master X. I know we're all reasonable like him."

Ciel sighed. "Come on, guys. Let's get back into the trailer. You guys could use the rest."

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><p>So, yeah. I'll be using some dialogue from Mega Man Zero 4, but I'll remove or add some things, since the Guardians are there. Now, is this going to get more reviews than Redemption or not? That is the question.<p> 


	3. Out of Hand

What Could Have Been  
>Chapter 3: Out of Hand<br>**DISLCAIMER: Mega Man Zero and other characters belong to Capcom.  
>AN: S to the L to the A to the C to the K! What does that spell? American! I…I mean…Slack. No, but seriously, I ain't gonna be finishing anything anytime soon, since I just got Resident Evil 5 and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, so you can imagine I'm gonna be hooked, not to mention I'm probably getting Batman: Arkham City and Assassin's Creed: Revelations soon…**

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><p>"Something bothering you about the Caravan?" Zero asked Ciel. They were back in the trailer. Zero, Ciel, and Fefnir were all standing there.<p>

Ciel nodded. "Yeah. I was shocked to hear that humans at the Settlement hated the Reploids. It's just I've…we fought so hard for the Reploids, that I didn't know other humans felt that way."

Fefnir rolled his eyes. "Sometimes, you just can't please them all. But it's for the greater good, and that's what should matter, right? It's the thought that counts…"

After their little conversation, the crimson warrior headed out. To Zero, it felt like Sage Harpuia was avoiding him. To Sage Harpuia, it felt like Zero was avoiding him. It was awkward, to say the least. Eventually, Zero grunted to himself, and decided to break the ice and confront Harpuia. Needless to say, the Guardian was acting strange. He wasn't like this before the mission. It just happened…randomly. Was there something wrong with his circuits?

Harpuia was walking somewhere, but Zero stood in his way. The crimson warrior crossed his arms, his never-ending scowl seemingly staring into Harpuia's soul. "You mind telling me what the hell you were thinking, O Just One?"

Harpuia ignored Zero's sarcastic comment. "You musn't concern yourself with such trivial morals, Zero. We have special…standards that must be met in order to obtain victory."

Zero's cold eyes stared harder at the green guardian. "Spoken like a true Maverick. And we? Who are you talking about? Leviathan didn't seem to know what you were getting at, and Fefnir wasn't sure that this Rule #998 was still…morally unquestionable. Your procedures, and your priorities, are unorganized. Go see Cerveau. I think something may be wrong with your circuitry systems."

Zero's statement irritated Harpuia. He felt a small bit of anger rising up inside him, but he kept it in, taking a deep breath. "Was that a pathetic attempt at an insult, or are you showing real concern for me, Zero?"

"What do you think?" Zero answered simply.

"I assure you, nothing is wrong. Nothing is out of hand. It was just battle stress, I assure you. I promise you, nothing more out of hand will happen."

"Hmph." Zero still had his doubts, but he kept it himself for now.

The Guardian raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Tell me about this…procedure book you call."

"We have…well, procedures and rules."

"And the ones that are pushed in the back are the more morally questionable ones?"

"Yes. It all began with Master…I mean Copy X."

"Tell me, what are the other two rules?"

"Maybe I'll tell you, and maybe I won't…"

"What? You think you'll shock me? I can remember my memories, like an old man trying to recollect old memories."

"Tch. Maybe you are an old man, Zero." Harpuia said jokingly in order to ease the tension. As they parted ways, Zero still had a creeping suspicion in the back of his neck that wouldn't go away. He wasn't really paying attention to where he was going, and accidentally bumped into Fairy Leviathan.

He imagined that she was shaky after the mission, especially while around Sage Harpuia, but he was surprised to see her manage a smile. Well, at least, an attempt at a smile.

"Well, Zero. Fancy seeing you here."

He didn't really show any interest talking to the guardian. There wasn't anything to talk about, unless she wanted to dwell on the mission. "Hello." He said briefly.

"How are you, Zero?"

"I'm not interested in small talk at the moment, Leviathan. I have to check with Ciel for missions. After that stunt we pulled, it'd be too good to be true for Mavericks to not go out and start hunting us down…"

The guardian frowned. "Jesus, Zero. You work too hard. You ever think of resting or—"

"I can't rest. This is my job, Leviathan. I choose to protect, and this is no game."

"I know, but—"

"There is nothing you can say to change my mind. This is my life, Leviathan. This is what I chose. I was created to fight, so I fight. There's no changing destiny. Of all people, you and your brothers should know that."

Leviathan sighed, shaking her head as she looked down. She then brought her head up again, making eye contact with Zero. Though they had spent time as enemies, she didn't know why she seemed flirty to him at times. But now, she thought she understood. But she wasn't sure on how to deal with it.

"Well, I was just thinking…Could you at least do it for me? You may be a legendary hero, Zero, but you're just like all of us. Sooner or later, you'll collapse, both mentally and physically. You're just as human as the reploids and the real humans."

Zero thought that this conversation, and this particular topic, was getting out of hand and getting longer than it needed to be. He grunted silently to himself. "No, I'm not. I'm a monster. A cold-blooded machine that hungers and lusts for death. That's me inside. You can think what you want, but it won't change the facts. Regardless of what they do, I kill Mavericks without hesitation. The only thing is that it doesn't bother me, and ironically, that thought is the thing that bothers me."

Leviathan held Zero's cheek in her hand, which surprised her, but the fake flesh felt good on her hand, so she kept it on. "Will you stop being emo for just one second? God, you can be annoying sometimes. Look. Taking it easy once in a while won't change who you are, regardless of whether you want it to or not. You have me, and the other guardians. Can't you just settle down...for me?"

Zero gazed into Leviathan's eyes, gently placing his hand on Leviathan's. "I can't settle down for anything. Not for personal gain, not for others, not for love, not for anything. I made my choice long ago. And now, I have to face the consequences alone. This isn't something you need to concern yourself with. So just leave it be, Leviathan. You're a warrior, not a siren."

"B-But…I think I really do—"

"I know. But I'm afraid. The last time I had someone care for me like Ciel or you do for me, everyone except X and I died. In the end, death is imminent. I can't avoid it. Now, Cerveau told me that Ciel found some information on Area Zero, so I'd better get there." Then he took Leviathan's hand off his face, and walked away.

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><p>_ DAYUM. The "For Endless Fight" remixes and such really bring out the author in me. Well, at least the part in me that really wants to be an author. I hope you enjoyed.<p> 


	4. Area Zero

What Could Have Been  
>Chapter 4: Area Zero<br>**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything. The characters are from Capcom and Inti Create's Mega Man Zero series on the Gameboy Advance, while some of the dialogue used is from Mega Man Zero 4.  
>AN: Oh, geez. I'm already showing more interest in this than I am in Redemption, but I really just need to get Redemption over with so I can focus on this with no problem…**

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><p>Ciel had called Zero and the other Guardians over when she realized something was wrong. According to Rogue, nature and abundant wildlife was slowly returning to Area Zero, which was revealed to be the crash site of the space colony Eurasia from two centuries ago. Zero grunted, holding his head, feeling the memories returning. He rested his hand on the wall, and it was apparent that he was struggling, as if he had a big headache.<p>

Fefnir looked at Zero with concern. "Yo, Zero. You don't look so hot. Something up?"

Ciel then glanced at Zero as well. However, Zero groaned silently, and shook his head. "No, it's nothing. Memories…more memories. Too bad they don't come back in sequential order…"

Ciel blinked, scratching her head. "Yes, well…anyways, something's wrong."

Leviathan leaned against the wall opposite to Zero. "What is it?"

Rogue was the one to respond. "I've detected multiple Reploid signatures in the area. Area Zero is supposed to be strictly a human settlement!"

Harpuia's eyes widened in surprise. "Then…that means Weil's forces are on the move!"

Fefnir grinned. "Well, we gotta stop them! Come on, guys! Let's get moving!"

Leviathan glanced at her brother, pursing her lips. "Oh, boy. Fefnir's trigger happy again. Poor bastard."

The Operator cleared her throat. "Are you four ready?"

Zero nodded. "Yes."

Rogue then activated the transporter system, teleporting the four to Area Zero. It was a beautiful place, with the lush jungle atmosphere calming Harpuia a bit. It was…composing, to say the least. He subconsciously stuck out his arm, and a butterfly landed on his hand. However, he quickly snapped back to reality when Zero started talking.

"Ciel, are you seeing this on the monitor?"

"Yes, I'm seeing it now. That's amazing. I didn't know such a natural place still existed." The blonde said in bewilderment over the communications link. Leviathan agreed. Things were artificial at every corner in Neo Arcadia.

Zero cleared his throat. "Ciel, what's our mission?"

"Oh, sorry about that!" Ciel said sheepishly. "Yes, the enemies are in the colony remains. The entrance...should be up ahead."

"Understood. Mission start." As the warriors started to move, Zero narrowed his eyes. "What could Dr. Weil be up to?"

"I don't know, but it's obvious that he's up to no good. That's all I need to know." Fefnir responded.

As they made their way into Area Zero, they slashed and blasted apart the Mavericks that stood in their way. The job was easy enough. A bit too easy in Fefnir's opinion, but it was because he had backup anyway, so he let it slide. Eventually, they reached the crash site of Eurasia. Zero didn't notice this until all of the enemies in the area were eradicated, and when Harpuia called his name.

"Zero! Take a look at this."

"What is it?" He turned around, seeing the crash site of the enormous space colony. Well, what was left of it, anyway. He sighed, taking a step towards it. "This…brings back memories. Literally. But we can daydream later. We have a job to do, team."

Leviathan nodded. "Right behind you, Zero!"

After battling a few more Mavericks, they made their way into a special chamber. At first, it was nothing special. Until it came. The big boss. A gigantic Maverick that was barely tall enough to fit in the room. It reminded Zero of a turtle. Fighting Fefnir looked up in bewilderment. "Holy crap…"

"Get out of the way!" Zero yelled, tackling Fefnir. A missile hit the spot where Fefnir was just standing. "Get under the damned platforms!"

Leviathan and Harpuia did so, running under a platform. They even felt the rumbling of the platform each time a missile made contact. Meanwhile, Zero turned to Fefnir. I'm going to try to take it out. You draw its attention." He then glanced at the other two guardians. "You guys do the same!"

The guardians nodded in unison. "Right." Harpuia said.

As the red knight in shining armor jumped up the platforms, narrowly dodging the missiles, Fefnir shot out his fireballs, Leviathan fired ice crystals, and Harpuia fired his sonic waves from his sabers. The giant grunted, even stepping back a bit in intimidation. However, it persevered.

_Where did this thing come from, anyway? Is this one of Weil's Mavericks? It's the only explanation. _Zero thought to himself as he made his way up. As he eventually reached the top, he chose the platform that stood in front of the Maverick. He closed his eyes, and as he opened them, a red aura was surrounding him. The guardians saw this, and Fefnir was in awe. Was this the legendary power of Zero?

Zero scowled, jumping into the air. "Itto Ryudan! Genmu Zero!" He spun, and fired a ginormous projectile that instantly destroyed the Maverick. Harpuia raised an eyebrow at Zero's words. Itto Ryudan. The art of cutting one in half. As if on que, the Maverick's body split in half, before each half fell down. Leviathan blinked. She had never seen Zero use this power before.

As the crimson warrior jumped off the platform, he looked back at the guardians. "Phantasm Zero. It's…"

Harpuia saw that Zero couldn't explain it to them, so he finished his sentence for him. "The power within you. During the Eurasia Incident, you fought Master X. He saw great potential in you. While doing research on you, they found out what exactly you were capable of. And that move was just the beginning."

Zero raised an eyebrow. "First, this is a different body I'm in, regardless of which body is stronger. Second, how do you know all this?"

"We retain the memories of Master X, but not the experience. So therefore, we can't give you the info you really need. We only provide the basic information, such as the first uprising of Sigma, the X-Hunter Incident, the Doppler Incident, the Repliforce War, the Eurasia Incident, the Nightmare Incident, Red Alert's uprising, and the rebellion of the New Generation Reploids."

Zero raised an eyebrow, but didn't press forward. "Okay, then. Let's keep moving. There shouldn't be much left."

Fefnir nodded, kicking the gate open. "Let's move out!"

As they reached the next room, they noticed a small chicken-like Maverick. Zero nearly snorted. "It looks like I missed a grunt."

The Maverick gawked. "Kya! Who dares call me a grunt?" It turned around, facing the warriors.

Fefnir grinned. "Yo momma!"

The chicken-like Maverick tilted his head. "Who are you, and where did you come from?"

Fefnir snickered to himself. "Oh, I guess you didn't hear all that ruckus outside, huh? Zero here kinda trashed your big scary guardian."

Harpuia raised an eyebrow. "According to the database, this is Popla Cocapetri."

Leviathan raised an eyebrow as well, holding back an amused smirk. "That's his name? That's cute…but really weird at the same time. It's like a nickname a baby would give his blanky or something."

The Maverick started to growl. "I'll teach you to come in here and insult me!"

Zero twitched in annoyance. "You're a noisy one."

"Grr! Now I'm really mad! I'll show you my true power! Kyakya!"

Suddenly, a howl was heard. A wolf howl. Then a voice was heard. "Don't steal all the fun, Cocapetri!"

Out of nowhere, 7 more Mavericks appeared. Among the 7 of them, two of them were female. "Yes, I want to be the one to light their fire!"

Harpuia crossed his arms. "Sol Titanion."

The Maverick named Popla Cocapetri turned around and growled at Sol Titanion. "Kya! Quiet! He's going to be my dinner!"

Fefnir laughed a bit in amusement. "Wow, these guys are so stupid they can't even agree with each other."

There was another Maverick, who was tall and bold. Pegasolata Éclair. He scowled at the chicken-like creature. "You're the one who needs to be quiet. You weren't back on time, so we had to come and try to find you!"

The second female, a plant-like Maverick, was Noble Mandrago. "By the way, who are those strange Reploids standing there?"

The giant Maverick, Mino Magnus, was the most intimidating in Zero's opinion. He was huge, and wielded an enormous axe, but his intelligence wasn't quite there. "Roar! Th-those…are…"

He was cut off by Tech Kraken, who was a squid-like creature. "The red one is Zero. The other three are what remains of the Four Guardians of Mega Man X. They were in Master Weil's database."

Fefnir smiled. "Oh! So you've heard of us after all, huh?"

The giant turtle like creature, Heat Genblem, raised an eyebrow. "Zero and the Three Guardians? So these Reploids are our targets? Then we should take care of them here and now!"

Zero rested his hand on his saber. "Bring it on, Maverick scum."

Suddenly, a mysterious voice was heard. "Time is running out. Leave him be for now." A cloaked Reploid teleported in, surprising everyone in the room. "We're only here to investigate Area Zero. You don't have clearance to fight."

Pegasolata Éclair groaned in disappointment. "Oh, come on, Commander Craft! You aren't saying we should just leave the enemy, are you?"

"We need the power of Ragnarok to destroy this much nature." The Reploid named Craft replied coldly. Leviathan gasped in shock.

"Once Ragnarok has begun," Craft continued, "four Reploids will be beneath our concern. There's no time to deal with them right now, however."

"Destroy the nature in Area Zero?" It took a small while for Zero to register that fact. "Just what are you trying to do?" He stepped forward, scowling.

Craft ignored Zero's questions, and began talking on his own terms. "My name is Craft. I am a soldier of Neo Arcadia. Or rather, Dr. Weil. Lord Weil requires that all nature be destroyed…"

The wolf creature, Fenri Lunaedge, spoke up as well. "Lately, there have been a lot of impudent humans thinking the world outside Neo Arcadia is better…"

Sol Titanion also began to speak. "That's why we must make sure of that by burning it all."

Popla Cocapetri grinned. "Then, no one will have delusions of escaping Lord Weil!"

"Who would choose nature over Lord Weil, anyway?" Noble Mandrago said coolly.

Pegasolata Éclair crossed his arms. "I can't believe it. Humans are so foolish."

Sage Harpuia stepped forward. "Wasn't this the reason you were built? To protect humans? You aren't helping humans. You're killing them!"

Craft scowled. "Silence, whelp."

Mino Magnus roared over Harpuia. "Commander Craft…is…th-the…the…"

Mino Magnus was interrupted by Tech Kraken again. "He is the leader of the Einherjar, the Eight Warriors!"

"The eight of us will completely destroy the environment!" Heat Genblem bellowed.

"Then, as part of Lord Weil's plan, we will destroy Area Zero as well. That is what we call Ragnarok. You see, there is nothing you can do to stop us. None of you are of any concern to Dr. Weil. You'll all come to understand soon. This world simply belongs to Lord Weil. Four Reploids can't completely change the world." Craft stated simply.

Fairy Leviathan gritted her teeth. "Not if we have anything to say about it! I won't let you do this to nature!"

Fighting Fefnir grunted. "Yeah, neither will I!"

Sage Harpuia nodded. "Or I."

Zero stepped forward, facing Craft. "You aren't destroying anything. Go back to your base before you get seriously hurt, boy scout."

Craft narrowed his eyes. "Heroes are a thing of the past…and yet, I believe it is time to depart. Ragnarok has begun…" And then, they all disappeared.

Ciel spoke to the four on their communications links. "Guys, are you alright?"

Zero nodded, though he knew Ciel couldn't see that. "Yes. Ciel, did you get all that?"

"Yes. I can't believe Dr. Weil would do something like that. We've arrived in Area Zero too. We also found the Settlement. Report back to the trailer."

Sage Harpuia nodded. "Understood. Operator, please transport us back to the trailer."

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><p>Huh. I stopped slacking. Go figure.<p> 


	5. Trial and Error

What Could Have Been  
>Chapter 5: Trial and Error<br>**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Mega Man Zero or any other character or dialogue used.  
>AN: Okay, I'm getting seriously lazy. I thought "Why am I still working on Redemption if I'm just going to a redux soon?" So I decided to just stop working on it period.  
>Review Response to SubZeroChimera: Yeah, I was working on this late at night, so I didn't really bother to pay attention to how it was really spelt. I often get Rogue and Rouge mixed up anyway, so sorry for the mistake :P<strong>

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><p>"So it seems that the Reploids weren't aware of the Settlement's presence. I know Neige warned us not to go to the settlement, but we need to tell them about Ragnarok," Ciel said. The Guardians, along with Zero, had just been transported back to the trailer.<p>

Harpuia nodded, folding his arms. "The humans' safety comes first. Then we can worry about Weil's little army of Mavericks…"

Rouge spoke up. "With Weil's army so close, we can't afford to risk alerting them to the Settlement's presence by you there. You guys will have to go on foot. Just exit the trailer, and keep going to the east. It shouldn't be that far away…"

Fefnir groaned, stretching his arms. "Ugh. Good. My legs feel achy…"

"Oh, guys! I almost forgot to tell you," Ciel started, "We just received data on an all new cyber-elf from the Resistance Base."

Zero didn't seem to care that much, but pretended to for Ciel's sake. "A new cyber-elf?"

Ciel nodded. "Yes, they've been conducting research on cyber-elves. We managed to get one of the new ones in the room next door with Alouette. Go pick it up from her. She also has the operating manual, so ask her for more details about it. It'll make her smart."

Harpuia glanced at Zero. "Yes, the Resistance and I have been talking about it as well. I suppose it slipped my mind."

Zero nodded at Harpuia, before looking at Ciel again. "We will."

The blonde nodded again. "When you guys are done, you know the drill…"

As the four reploids left the room, Leviathan smiled. "Aww, that little girl Alouette is so cute!"

Fefnir sighed. "Just keep it to yourself, sis," he said jokingly.

As they went into the next room, Alouette was already waiting for them. It took some time for her to adjust and accept that the Guardians were now their allies, but she managed, and she became extremely friendly to them, especially with Fairy Leviathan.

"Check this elf out!" She took the young cyber-elf and showed it to them. "Its eyes are closed because it's still a baby. It just came," she said happily.

Fairy Leviathan knelt down in front of the girl, smiling. "That's great news!"

"I also came up with a name for her! What do you guys think of Croire?"

Leviathan smiled some more, patting Alouette on the head. "I think it's a wonderful name!"

Fefnir held back a snicker, while Zero held his chin in thought. "Croire, huh? Not bad."

Harpuia shrugged. "Well, there have been many other suggestions. Ciel thought Charite would've been a good name as well. Cerveau recommended Progress. Rouge thought of the name Variable. Hirondelle thought we could also name it Nouvelle. Oh, and last but not least, Faucon also thought of Recrue. What do you guys think?"

Zero crossed his arms. "I suppose we'll stick with Croire for now. What do you think, Fefnir?"

Fefnir shrugged, still holding back his snickers. There was a small smirk plastered on his face. "Meh, I don't really care. I suppose Croire will do as well."

Alouette gasped in excitement. "Really? That's great! I'm glad you guys like it!"

Harpuia raised an eyebrow. "I believe Croire means believe, right?"

The little girl nodded. "That's right! Do you guys need to know how the Elf works?"

Zero shook his head. "No, it's alright. I've dealt with cyber-elves before."

Leviathan raised an eyebrow. "You have? What are they like?"

"Most of them are certainly quite…enthusiastic."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, it's just that…well, never mind." Zero shook his head a bit, taking a look at the baby cyber-elf. "Huh. Do we have any energy crystals?"

Alouette nodded. "Yeah. Croire came with a package of energy crystals. We should feed her now because she's probably hungry!"

As they fed the cyber-elf, it evolved, and managed to open her eyes. It was still a small blob with weak powers, but it certainly was cute. At least, in the eyes of Alouette and Leviathan. Zero, on the other hand, was concerned with her usefulness. "Croire is still young. We'll need to feed her some more energy crystals so she can come closer to fulfilling her potential…"

The little reploid girl nodded. "Understood, Zero."

As they exited the trailer, Leviathan sighed. "How cute."

Zero looked to the side. "Come on. We need to focus. Remember, we have to warn the humans. Ragnarok is coming soon."

The female cleared her throat, with a mild sheepish tone to it. "Oh, right. Sorry about that. Yeah, let's go."

They passed by one of the guard reploids, who nodded, smiled, and even said hi. Eventually, they reached the human settlement. Neige had her back turned to the reploids. The four were about to walk over to her, but they were stopped by a human guard named Rafale.

"Hey, you! Stop!"

The tone of the guard's voice alarmed Neige, causing her to turn around. She scowled as she saw the reploids. _What are they doing here? _She thought to herself.

"You're a Reploid," the guard continued, "This isn't the place for you! Get out of here!"

Fefnir crossed his arms. "You really shouldn't be mean to someone when their guns are bigger than your guns, small fry."

"Why, I oughta rip—"

Fairy Leviathan cleared her throat loudly enough for the guard to silence. "We have something extremely important. It's the only reason we came here anyway."

Neige took a few steps forward. "We told you to get out," she said firmly with a menacing edge to it.

Sage Harpuia gritted his teeth, taking a step towards Neige. The guard was about to shove Harpuia back, but Fefnir recklessly aimed his arm cannon at him, intimidating the human. "Dr. Weil is planning on destroying this place. You must leave while you still can."

Rafale crossed his arms, glaring at Fefnir. Leviathan tapped Fefnir's back, whispering in his ear. "You can stop pointing your gun at the human. It's not going to win us any points." Reluctantly, Fefnir did so.

The guard then scoffed at what Harpuia said. "Another Reploid war? First, we had to go through the Maverick Wars, and then the fucking Elf Wars, and now this. How long does this world have to suffer while you carry out these wars?" He pointed at Zero as he yelled this.

Zero glared with an annoyed look at Rafale. "Are you done yet?"

Rafale stepped back, calming down a bit. "Just leave us alone. This settlement was built by humans, for humans, and we'll protect it by ourselves." He said.

Fefnir snickered, facepalming himself a bit. "This is hilarious. Yeah, sorry to burst your bubbles, but you can't fight Weil. His troops will pulverize you. If you want to live, I suggest you flee before it's too late. The least you can do is be grateful that we're actually trying."

Rafale shook his head. He gained more confidence and took a step towards Fefnir. "We may be only human, but we're certainly not cowards. We're staying, and that's final."

"There's a difference between being brave and being stupid, stupid."

Leviathan pulled her brother's arm, causing him to stagger back a bit. Zero folded his arms. "Tch. It's no use. We've told you what we wanted you to know, and now you do know it. It's up to them to decide what to do about it. Isn't that right, Neige?"

The redhead nodded uneasily. "Th-that's right." _What's he getting at? There has to be something behind that cool exterior and those words, _she thought to herself.

"If they want to die in vain, that's their choice." Zero continued.

Harpuia scowled, walking towards the crimson warrior. "What are you trying to do, provoke them?" He muttered to Zero.

"Just watch." Zero muttered back. "It's like trial and error."

Neige glared at the red reploid. "Weil's Mavericks don't scare us. We can take care of ourselves." She said, trying to keep cool.

Zero glared back at Neige with doubt. "I guess that's exactly why you needed help in the Caravan."

Rafale clenched his fist, taking a step towards Zero. "Hey, you wanna start something, little guy? Because I'll pummel you into the ground!"

Fefnir stepped towards Rafale, cracking his knuckles. "Y'know, there's a reason why he's considered a legendary war hero, bud. Perhaps rethink your actions." The guardian knew that what he said was hypocritical, but he didn't really care at the moment.

Rafale hesitantly stepped back. Neige sighed. "What can we do in order for you to just go away?" She asked.

Zero raised an eyebrow, seemingly pleased. "Now we're getting somewhere. For starters, we could easily work together. United, we'll be able to stop Weil in no time."

Rafale shook his head. "My father was killed by a Maverick. I'm not gonna trust any Reploid for a split-second!"

Neige scowled at Rafale. He was certainly getting on her nerves. As the female shifted her attention back to the Reploids, she held her chin. "Maybe. I'll have to think about that. In the meantime, you wanna explain why we should work together, since you think we can't fend for ourselves?"

"I never said you can't fend for yourselves. That was Fefnir. Anyways, some of you could either do some grunt work, like gather energy crystals for our…err, project." Zero had nearly forgotten that humans were completely unaware of the existence of cyber-elves, and he managed to pull back his statement at the very last minute.

Neige raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

Zero shook his head. "No. You could also put your minds to use and help out with the tech, or strategic work. There are only a handful of us in the trailer, so we need all the help we can get. And so do you, Neige…"

"Hmph. Maybe. Like I said, I'll think about it."

Rafale gawked in shock. "What? You're not seriously considering working with these people, are you, Neige?"

Neige rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Oh, shut up! You've been whining all freaking day! Just shut your trap for one minute! Please?"

Fefnir nodded in agreement. _I aim my gun at him, he yells louder. He gets chewed out by a woman, he instantly stays quiet. It's a mad world._

"Well, we'll leave you to discuss privately. Come on." Zero turned around, his ponytail slapping Harpuia in the face. Harpuia blinked, slapping the hair back.

As Harpuia walked over next to Zero, he sighed. "Do you really think we can trust them?"

"There's no reason not to trust them."

"Except that guard. I don't like the looks of him."

"He knows the seriousness of this situation. He wouldn't betray us. Not with the other humans on our side, anyway. Besides, a bitter dislike at best would be what he'd have. Especially with Fefnir…"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive, Harpuia. Come on. We need to get back to Ciel. We need to find the Einherjar and destroy them, and then we need to find Weil. He's probably hiding in Neo Arcadia, but a sudden assault will cause mass panic."

"We should plan this out later when we have time, Zero."

* * *

><p>Whew! Awesome! Oh, and quick little note, I intend to have Croire as a full, fleshed-out character. And since I can't find any source to the dialogue of what Croire would say when you talk to her, I'll just have to use what I remember from playing it for like, an hour.<p> 


	6. Regret

What Could Have Been  
>Chapter 6: Regret<br>**DISCLAIMER: Mega Man Zero as a whole belongs to Capcom.  
>AN: So, I'd like to say Happy Belated Christmas! I was busy with family, so I couldn't write that much. On a brighter note, I managed to get Assassin's Creed: Revelations – The Signature Edition, and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, which I already tell is going to be a guilty pleasure.**

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><p>"So, you're saying that they just decided to work with us?" Ciel asked Zero. Rouge had sent the Guardians out to find Energy Crystals. The Operator herself had volunteered to gather some E-Crystals for Croire as well, since Zero wasn't going on any particular missions just yet. After much hard work, Fefnir agreed to do so, since he thought that gathering Energy Crystals for cyber-elves was "boring."<p>

Zero nodded. "Yeah." He "forgot" to leave out the details on how he convinced the humans to work with them. If he told her, he'd expect a lecture from Ciel. And knowing Ciel, the lectures would remind him more of X. _In this time I need you most, X, you're gone. Perfect. _He had forgotten about his best friend from centuries ago, and in this time, he really needed his friend's guidance, but there was nothing to be found. He had to accept that X was gone and that it was up to him now…

"Well, knowing the humans, I would've expected that they'd have acted violently, or just plain unreasonable."

"Granted, they were reluctant to work with us, but we managed to do it," Zero said, folding his arms, "While we were discussing, Neige said that she'll come work with us by tomorrow."

"Great. You've been a great help, Zero. You've helped me more than I could've hoped for. I'm sorry." Ciel said, looking down.

Zero raised an eyebrow, slightly puzzled. "You're sorry? For what?"

"Constantly, you risk your life for us. In the beginning, you worked with us. We were people you didn't know, and you still helped us. I never got around to repaying you…"

"Ciel, stop it," the crimson reploid said firmly, "Don't start blaming yourself. I do this because I believe in justice. I'll do whatever it takes to take down Weil, and to bring peace back. I'll do whatever I can to ease the tension between reploids and humans. This is my fate. In the end, it's easier to save everyone when you don't care about yourself."

Ciel was speechless. She wasn't charismatic enough to come up with an immediate answer. She just stared stupidly at the warrior. "Zero, I…I believe in you. And in this time we've spent together, I've wanted to tell you something for a long time."

Zero could already predict what she was going to say, but he didn't want to be rude. He nodded, crossing his arms. Ciel sighed, walking in a circle. "Zero…I…well, I don't exactly know how to break this to you, but…I've grown to care about you more than I really expected…"

_Yeah, this is going exactly where I think it is,_ Zero thought. Regardless, he still kept quiet, pretending to not know what was to come soon. "And…?"

"I can't afford to lose you. Not right now. Not ever. I don't ever want to lose you, Zero."

"…How do you mean?" Zero asked, pretending to be completely oblivious.

"I…I'm scared, Zero. Not everyone gets their happy ending. What if…what if Weil succeeds? What if he prevails after all?"

"He won't. I promise you, Ciel. Believe in me…as I've believed in you."

"You…you believe in me?" Ciel asked, slightly surprised. "Why? What have I done to make you believe in me?"

"Your determination. In normal circumstances, a girl like you would've given up a long, long time ago. But something drives you forward. Something within you that yearns for peace. And I admire that. I believe in you for that."

Ciel couldn't help but blush. "Th-thank you, Zero." She walked over to him, and hugged the reploid.

Zero was caught off-guard by it. He felt inclined to hug back, so he did. He backed up against the wall, where he lost his balance, and sat down, bringing Ciel down with him. The girl dug her face in Zero's vest.

The warrior was surprised to feel a…wetness. And then he heard sniffling. He then realized that Ciel was crying. "Hey…what's the matter?" He whispered calmly. Comforting others wasn't his strong point, but he tried.

"I…I don't want to lose you, Zero! I…I…" Ciel couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence, but Zero already knew.

"I know…I know…" Zero said, sighing. If he looked to the side, he would've seen Fairy Leviathan witnessing the ordeal, but he didn't look. So he didn't know.

As expected, the Guardians and their operator returned shortly, though Leviathan was nowhere in sight. Zero didn't know why, but it wasn't at the top of his mind at the moment. Emphasis on the phrase "at the moment."

Exhausted, Fighting Fefnir was too lazy to even feed Croire, so he handed the E-Crystals to Zero, who grunted in mild annoyance. He went over to the other chamber, feeding the cyber-elf. As expected, it grew a bit again.

"Mimimimimi…" It squeaked. Zero raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

Alouette walked in. "I've been teaching her how to talk. She's getting the general idea already." The girl smiled, hugging her doll tightly as usual. "Y'know, don't tell Ciel, but when I grow up, I want to research elves!"

Zero nodded. "I'm sure you'll do fine, Alouette."

As he exited the chamber, he saw Fefnir lumbering past him. He cleared his throat loud enough for the Guardian to turn around.

"Oh. Hey, Zero."

"Get Harpuia and Leviathan. We can't afford to waste any more time. Come on. The sooner you get your siblings, the sooner we can fight the Einherjar," Zero said, making sure to get Fefnir's attention by mentioning fighting.

It worked. Fefnir's eyes brightened. "Yes, sir!" Then he started running past Zero to get his siblings. The crimson warrior was troubled. He didn't know how to act around Ciel anymore, now that it's been confirmed that she loved him.

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><p>OMFG DRAMA. WOOOO! Reviews, pl0x?<p> 


	7. If You Can't Stand the Heat

What Could Have Been  
>Chapter 7: If You Can't Stand the Heat…<br>**DISCLAIMER: Mega Man Zero, as a whole, belongs to Capcom.  
>Review Response: To Leviathan, I'll explain why Zero says what he says to Ciel in a later chapter, since I think it'd be considered a spoiler to tell you now. Trust me, I never overlook a detail. Okay, I admit that sounded pretty arrogant, but still…<strong>

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><p>As Fefnir gathered his siblings to the briefing room where they met Zero and Ciel, Rouge started talking to Zero. "Are you ready for a mission yet, Zero?"<p>

Zero nodded. "What's the highest priority mission so far?"

"They're all pretty high priority, if I do say so myself, but I think we should deal with Heat Genblem. See, a large particle beam has been placed at point A-4 by Weil's army. It fires intermittent laser beams destroying everything in the area. It appears to be solar powered. Soon, it'll be within firing range of Area Zero."

Harpuia nodded, crossing his arms. "I suppose the humans will be very grateful and more…understanding if we cut the power supply of the particle beam. Correct?"

Rouge shrugged. "I guess so."

Zero realized Leviathan had been quiet the entire briefing. She just…leaned against the wall, not really paying attention to anything, and her arms were crossed, as if she were instead thinking deeply about something. But he couldn't dwell on it for too long. He had a mission to do. "Mission start."

As they were transported to the base, the four reploids could hear the Operator's voice from their communications link. "Just so you know your objective, we can't disable the particle beam from outside, so you'll have to infiltrate the base and disable it."

Harpuia nodded. "Affirmative."

"I'm scanning the area for a way in…"

Zero shook his head. "No need. We'll just go in through the barrel."

The only thoughts that came into Fefnir's mind were _DO A BARREL ROLL. _

"That's way too dangerous!" Rouge said in disapproval.

"It looks like its charging up. There's no time to argue, Rouge. Commencing mission!"

He then dashed forward, and the others had no choice but to follow as well. Leviathan and Harpuia weren't exactly sure about the idea, but it was the only way in. Fefnir, on the other hand, loved living on the edge, so this was a blast.

Zero and Harpuia slashed through the Mavericks with ease, and the trigger-happy Fefnir shot them down as well. And Leviathan shot several ice projectiles at them.

Suddenly, there was rumbling that stopped the reploids dead in their tracks.

More rumbling.

And then, there was a roar. A high-pitched cry.

"Look out!" Harpuia tackled Zero as a fire dragon landed on the spot where the two just were. Zero jumped up, dashing backwards, while Harpuia flew upwards.

The fire dragon created a pillar of fire that had a vacuum-like effect, sucking everything. Zero tripped, but stabbed his saber into the ground and held tight, not going anywhere while holding on to his weapon.

"Leviathan, help me dispose of the fire pillar or else Zero will die!" Harpuia yelled, before gathering many winds to attempt to blow away the pillar.

_Tch. Right. _Hesitantly, Leviathan shot an ice beam from her halberd, slightly weakening the fire pillar. Eventually, the pillar did dissipate, and Fefnir took this opportunity to fire a charged shot at the vulnerable dragon.

"Dammit, get back!" Zero stood up, roughly pulling his saber out of the ground. He ran towards his allies, before glancing back at the dragon, who roared in pain. Intimidated, Leviathan stepped back, but Zero tightened his grip on his saber.

Zero took out his Buster Shot Pistol, and began firing. Harpuia swooped behind the dragon, slicing at its neck. Leviathan started to fire ice projectiles again, and Fefnir continued to shoot his fireballs at the creature.

"Gah! Evasive maneuvers, guys!" Leviathan said as the dragon began to fire purple laser beams. Zero rolled to the side, but continued firing. Fefnir wasn't as agile, and didn't want to lose focus, so he'd just sidestep and duck when needed.

Harpuia managed to slice until its wires were exposed. He grinned, before stabbing his sabers into the exposed hole. The dragons screamed in pain, before falling down.

Fefnir walked over to the Maverick's body. "Is…is it dead?" He said, sighing.

Harpuia withdrew his sabers, nodding. "It's dead. Come on. We need to get moving. We don't have any time to waste."

Zero nodded back. "Roger."

Suddenly, there was more rumbling, and the ground beneath the reploids collapsed. Zero and Harpuia managed to land on their feet. Leviathan was caught entirely off-guard, but Zero caught her in his arms. Fefnir, on the other hand, landed on his back.

"Ow…" Fefnir gasped, getting up. And then there was more rumbling.

Suddenly, an energy beam appeared out of nowhere, flying just above the reploids' heads. Harpuia gasped, surprised. "This must be the particle beam."

Zero nodded. "Indeed. We'd better move. Be cautious, though." He didn't realize he was still holding Leviathan, who was madly blushing.

_No. He doesn't feel anything for you. You know that…_

"I can stand now, Zero." Leviathan said firmly. Zero blinked in surprise, glancing at the siren. He sheepishly set her down, the female sighing.

Another particle beam was shot, and they made their way through the tunnel, destroying many Variant-class Mavericks. As they made their way to the edge, they went down a hole, fighting more and more Mavericks.

As they slowly made their way back up, they climbed up a treacherous wall with many fireballs. Harpuia marveled at the design. "Interesting. Looks like these—"

He was cut off by his brother, Fefnir. "Look, bro, I don't care. No one cares. Can we just move on?"

Harpuia rolled his eyes. _Simpleton._

Leviathan pursed her lips. "To me, it just seems that they really don't want us to stop the particle beam, but it's never any use."

Fefnir snorted. "They can try all they want, but they won't."

Zero, Leviathan, and Fefnir jumped up the walls when it was safe, while Harpuia merely levitated upwards, slashing at several more Variants.

Eventually, they reached the door that led them into a small chamber. Zero instantly knew what was to come. "Heat Genblem is near. Stay cautious."

As they entered the next chamber that led them to Heat Genblem, the tall Maverick was waiting for them. He stuck his arms out. "Ragnarok will wake the humans from their stupidity. It is the grand plan of our group under Commander Craft! I will defeat all who stand in our way!"

Leviathan narrowed her eyes. "Oh, shut up." She fired several spiked ice projectiles at the Maverick, who merely turned around, his shell absorbing the projectiles. As he turned around, his head went back into his shell, and a stream of fire came out through the hole where his head once was.

Harpuia quickly levitated up, grabbing his sister as well. Zero wall-jumped to dodge the stream of fire, while Fefnir was fending Heat Genblem off with his own stream of fireballs.

Suddenly, Heat Genblem's voice was heard from inside the shell. "Oh, you want to fight fire with fire? So be it!"

Suddenly, he retracted his arms, legs, and tail into the shell, and all of a sudden, fireballs surrounded the shell, which in turn began to move towards Fefnir, who wall-jumped over the shell. However, the shell then flew off the wall, then the opposite wall, then towards Harpuia, Leviathan, and Zero.

Zero dropped off the wall, while Harpuia swooped to the side with his sister.

Harpuia looked down at his sister, who grunted loudly. She gritted her teeth. "Give me a better shot!" However, when Harpuia wasn't looking, Heat Genblem returned quickly, catching even Leviathan by surprise. His shell crashed into the two guardians, knocking them into the wall.

"Harpuia! Leviathan!" Zero yelled in disbelief. Two of his allies were easily disposed of. Now, it was only him and Fefnir.

When the Maverick landed on the ground, his head, body, legs, and tails came back, and he stepped towards Zero and Fefnir, who dashed towards the giant. They attacked, but Heat Genblem turned around at the last minute, his shell absorbing the attacks.

"Give it up, you insufferable fools!" The Maverick roared. Zero saw that the Maverick was charging up fire from his hand, and as soon as he realized that, he jumped back. However, Fefnir wasn't so lucky. Heat Genblem quickly turned back and delivered a flaming uppercut, knocking Fefnir into the wall.

"Heh. Now that those pesky Guardians are out of the way, let's test the strength of the legendary hero!" Heat Genblem said mockingly.

"Oh, you'll find plenty of challenge." Zero responded, scowling. _This isn't going to be easy…_

Zero unequipped his saber in favor of his Buster Shot. Heat Genblem jumped in the air, and stopped in the center of the room. He withdrew his head, legs, and arms into his shell, and from the tail-hole, a beam was fired. And the shell began to rotate.

Zero wall-jumped, narrowly evading the beam. In mid-air, he caught part of the Maverick's shell, and tried to hang on as best as he can. It was like an old roller coaster from three hundred years ago or something. A roller coaster of death.

With much difficulty, he climbed and climbed until he reached what he assumed was the head-hole. He charged his Buster Shot, and then stuck the pistol inside the hole. "Smile, you son of a—"

He fired, causing a loud growl. Heat Genblem then used his shell to slam Zero's body into a wall. Now, all of the targets were neutralized. As Heat Genblem returned to his original position, he stood in the middle of the chamber.

"Targets have been destroyed! Ragnarok will continue!" Heat Genblem bellowed in triumph.

"Like hell it will," came a weak voice. It was none other than Fighting Fefnir. While the Einherjar warrior was fighting Zero, Fefnir was still conscious. He just decided to charge his cannon to its maximum capacity.

The Guardian stood up. "Now…BURN IN HELL!" Fefnir screamed as he fired a massive fire beam. It easily obliterated Heat Genblem.

Through the power, Fefnir could barely hear Heat Genblem bellow his last, foolish choice of words. "Gragh! I failed to destroy my target! I'm sorry I failed you, Commander Craft..."

Fefnir knelt back down weakly. He had used much of his energy. He glanced back, and saw Zero stand up, rubbing his head. Harpuia's head twitched, but Fefnir didn't make much note of that. "Alright…mission accomplished."

And with that, Rouge transferred the warriors back to HQ.

* * *

><p>Trivia: The roar that the fire dragon makes is the same roar that Mothra makes. Now, what the hell is Mothra, you ask? Mothra is a moth-like kaiju, which is the Japanese term for giant monster. Mothra, along Mechagodzilla and King Ghidorah, are some of Godzilla's more famous rivals. Time and time again, the Mothra species is allied on the side of good, unless it goes to evil, and in that case, it turns into a giant bat creature called Battra. Depending on what alignment Godzilla is on, Mothra will either aid or fight Godzilla. That is all. REVIEWS. NAO.<p> 


	8. All's Fair in Love and War

What Could Have Been  
>Chapter 8: All's Fair in Love and War<br>**DISCLAIMER: Mega Man Zero, as a whole, belongs to Capcom.**

* * *

><p>After undergoing repairs, Leviathan and Zero eventually managed to regain their energy. Fefnir declined the repairs, stating that auto-repairs could do the work. It was only a flesh wound, he said. Ciel reluctantly let it slide.<p>

However, Harpuia, on the other hand, had something wrong within him. Cerveau had been asked to examine the guardian. So far, Cerveau didn't have anything to say, but it had only been roughly ten minutes…

As promised, Neige and a few of the other humans moved in so that they could work alongside Ciel and the rest of the Resistance. It seemed awkward to be in the same room as the people who hate your kind, so Rouge dug her head in her computer, pretending to be completely busy.

Zero glared at the humans, leaning against the wall. To him, humans seemed like complete simpletons. Some were idiots, and the others attempted to be reasonable. However, it was up in the air as to if they were going to actually be reasonable or not.

Feeling uncomfortable in a reploid's presence, Neige folded her arms. The redhead didn't notice Rouge however. Besides, why should she? She was only an Operator. Zero, on the other hand, was a warrior. He fought in wars. _Hell, he probably even started the wars, _she thought.

Ciel read Neige's expression, and glanced at Zero. "Zero, could you leave for a few? We need to discuss something in private."

Zero pushed himself away from the wall, nodding. "Alright." As he exited, he sighed heavily, looking into the sky. The sun was beautiful. It reminded him of what he was fighting for. A better future. For Ciel. For humanity. But wait, didn't he—

Suddenly, a female voice snapped him from his thoughts. "So, I can see that you're finally outside of the trailer."

Zero blinked, looking at Leviathan. She had her arms folded, as if there was something that desperately needed to be discussed. The only problem was, Zero didn't know what. "Yeah. So?"

"Oh, I'm just saying… You always have your arm wrapped around Ciel, if you know what I mean," the guardian said with a cold and sarcastic edge.

Zero blinked again. _What does she mean? _He then shook his head. "…No. I don't know what you mean. Care to enlighten me?" He said with an equally cold edge, but then, this was his usual tone anyway, so it didn't really matter.

"Tch. Always gotta deny, huh?"

"What are you talking about? What are you implying, Leviathan?" He asked, his patience wavering by the second.

"I'm not implying anything. I'm just saying that you and Ciel are close. Too close for my taste. Have I made my point yet? Have you managed to get it through your thick, cybernetic skull?"

The insults weren't easing the mood, but Zero managed to finally understand. At least, he thought he did. At first, he thought she just disapproved of Ciel's crush, but then slowly, he realized…she saw them together.

"L-Leviathan, it's not what you think—"

"Not what I think, huh? How can what I saw be misinterpreted in any way?"

"There's a difference between knowing when one is infatuated with you, and when you return the infatuation."

"Ooh, big words. Well, then. Answer this. Do you really return the infatuation?"

Zero crossed his arms, his cold stare slightly unsettling the reploid. "She's a teenager. A human. I'm a…I'm the God of Destruction. The real God of Destruction. I wasn't built for infatuation. I was built for combat. Nothing else. I just have the misfortune of having emotions."

"Misfortune? Well, sometimes. And stop trying to get around my questions. You have emotions just like all of us."

"I don't. I CAN'T," Zero said, raising his voice a bit, "Now, it's your turn to answer a question. Why are you confronting me about this?"

"You know damn well why I am."

"So this is what this is all about? Petty jealousy over something that doesn't exist? My relationship with Ciel is strictly platonic. She…she believes in me. I believe in her. That's where it ends, though."

"Oh, yeah? Well, it seems Ciel crossed your imaginary line then."

Zero gritted his teeth. He had had enough of this. "So you disapprove of Ciel's crush on me. Her little schoolgirl crush. Is it affecting how you perform on the mission? Apparently not. Besides, what do you think you're going to do about it? You can't control a human's thoughts the same way you can control a reploid's with programming!" He didn't realize how much he had raised his voice until he had finished talking.

However, Leviathan stood her ground. Barely, though. "Well, I suppose that's why you're completely devoid of all emotion, huh? You're nothing more than a stupid reploid inside a copy body who thinks he doesn't deserve recognition for his actions! PATHETIC!"

Zero had nothing to say. He didn't respond. He didn't have to. He instantly saw the regret in her eyes as she looked down. She began to talk again. "S-Sorry…I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that…"

_Why should I be mad? You were only stating the facts, _Zero thought. However, he refrained from saying it. He simply shrugged, sighed, and did the most uncharacteristic thing he thought he could've ever done. He hugged Leviathan.

Why he hugged Leviathan, Zero didn't know. Hugging was something he forgot he knew how to do. He felt the female return the hug. The crimson knight then heard Leviathan whisper something. "I'm sorry…"

Zero sighed, not sure on whether he should let her go. One part of him wanted to get away from her, but the other part of him was afraid to do so. This strangely unfamiliar and human emotion made Zero uneasy inside. He wasn't built for this. He didn't know how to handle this. He felt stupid.

"I…I love you," Leviathan whispered softly.

Zero closed his eyes, nodding. "I know." _It's already established that I know. _However, even to himself, it was up in the air on whether he loved her back. For now, at least.

And then, she asked the question that Zero hoped he'd never answer. "Do you love me?"

There was an awkward silence before the crimson warrior could answer. "I…I don't know."

The siren sighed. "You don't know if you love me, or do you not know if you remember how to love?"

"I don't think I knew how to love from the beginning anyway…"

"Well, let's hope someone can at least teach you. Or best case scenario, reteach you."

_Here we go again. _Zero easily heard the flirtatious edge in Leviathan's voice. It was just like their other meetings. Before Omega. During the reign of Copy X, and the betrayal of Commander Elpizo. He was aware of Leviathan's sadistic side. How she used to wish nothing more than to destroy Zero. And now, this…

A familiar male voice was heard. "Good afternoon."

Leviathan sheepishly let go of Zero, looking back. It was none other than Fighting Fefnir, who was smirking and had his arms crossed. Zero tilted his head slightly. "Good afternoon," he said back to the guardian.

"I can see I stumbled onto a soft moment."

Leviathan's pale face blushed. "I-It wasn't like that."

Fefnir chuckled. "I'm not an expert on love, so I don't know what to say. I suppose it's embarrassing for both of us, eh?"

Zero shrugged. "I have no reason to be embarrassed, and I have no reason not to be."

Fefnir frowned, facepalming himself. "Oh, my god. Typical of you to say that, Zero," he said jokingly.

"Of course. What did you expect?"

"Heh. Point taken. Anyway, when are we doing our next mission?"

"Ciel and the humans from the Settlement are discussing something. I'm not allowed in at the moment, but I know that they'll eventually finish discussing whatever it is they're talking about."

"Damn. I'm anxious," Fefnir whined.

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><p><strong>I was originally going to have a lot more happen in this chapter, but then I decided against it. I hope you enjoyed, so you can give me reviews? :D<strong>


	9. Arrogant Elegance

What Could Have Been  
>Chapter 9: Arrogant Elegance<br>**DISCLAIMER: I like cheese. I really don't feel like repeating myself again. Again. Consider this a waste of text! :D  
>AN: Sorry, I just haven't been in a mood to write lately. Personal issues, school, and laziness. I'll try to do better. Pfft. Nah. Screw that. Now, on a side note, I know that the Z-Knuckle is a weapon stealing thing, but I decided to change it a little for a bit of convenience.**

* * *

><p>After some time passed, Neige let the reploids back into the trailer. Unfortunately, Harpuia had yet to recover, so it was just Fefnir, Zero, and Leviathan.<p>

Neige and her companions stepped to the side, the redhead crossing her arms and frowning, letting Rouge brief them for what comes next.

"Are you ready for another mission?" The navigator simply asked.

Zero nodded. "What should we do now?"

Rouge pressed on some buttons on her computer, which showed a map of the area. "We've located Weil's flying fortress. It generates special clouds that become a source of lightning and acid rain. Get on board and ground that floating monstrosity."

Leviathan nodded as well. "Understood."

Fefnir cleared his throat. "Just exactly who are we going up against this time?"

Rouge typed on her virtual keyboard, until coming up with an answer. "You three will be encountering Pegasolata Éclair."

Zero nodded. "Okay. Transfer us."

Rouge did so, and as they were transported to the fortress, they received an incoming transmission from Neige. Zero answered. "What is it?"

"Apparently, there seem to be acid rain generators. It'd be great if you destroyed them. Y'know, so nature won't die out."

Fefnir grinned. "I love the smell of destruction in the morning!" He ran forward, destroying everything in his way, from Mavericks to generators, to water fountains…

Leviathan and Zero followed closely. The crimson warrior nodded. "Alright. But I guess Fefnir will have taken care of it all, regardless of whether he'd realize it or not."

Leviathan scoffed. "Tch. Don't worry. Does it really matter? As long as he gets the job done. Besides, he's not all stupid. He's civilized. Sometimes."

Zero shrugged, destroying every Maverick in his way as well. As they passed through a door, the three found themselves being pushed back by a powerful wind.

"Damn! It's really hard to navigate through this!" Fefnir yelled to no one really. Leviathan and Zero ignored him, trying to concentrate.

They dashed through the fortress, destroying a few generators here and there, as well as some basic platforming. Fefnir, however, had some trouble due to his bulky shape, but he eventually got the hang of it…

The three warriors eventually made it inside a building. Leviathan slumped against the wall, hoping to get a small breather. "Man. That wind took a lot more out of me than I thought…" She said in between breaths.

Zero clutched his saber tightly, sensing something. "Don't relax yet. We're not out of the woods just yet…"

This caused Fefnir to raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Zero?"

Suddenly, a familiar high-pitched whine was heard, and a dragon appeared. In terms of appearance, it was exactly like the dragon that they had fought in Heat Genblem's stage. Only this dragon was green and yellow.

Zero gritted his teeth, stepping back, as he was intimidated and startled by the dragon. "That. It's like a warrior's intuition. Be wary when something is too easy…"

"Watch out!" Leviathan yelled as the dragon began firing purple lasers at them.

_Huh. Same dragons, same weapons, different colors. Is Weil just freaking lazy or what? _Fefnir thought to himself as he dodged the lasers. It gave him a rush. Excitement that can only be fueled by battle.

Once Zero realized that the dragon had just stopped firing its laser beams, it charged at them. Fefnir jumped out of the way, but Zero himself wasn't so lucky.

The dragon, with its claws, grabbed Zero, and started to fly upwards. Fefnir shot a few projectiles at the Maverick, as did Leviathan, though her projectiles were more effective than Fefnir's, since her element was ice.

However, in the end, Zero had to save himself. The dragon was still flying up, but the Crimson Knight took out his Buster Shot, and started to charge it. _Come on… Charge, damn you!_

Zero took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. He'd be able to focus better if he was more calm. He knew how to get out of sticky situations like these…

He kicked the dragon as hard as he could, though it didn't show any response. _Damn. Wait a minute! The Z-Knuckle! _It was a decent plan. He slammed his Z-Knuckle fist into the dragon's armor. The force of the punch pierced through the armor, and Zero could feel wires.

The crimson warrior then immediately pulled the wires out, snapping some of them. The dragon whined in pain, dropping Zero. With his other hand that was holding his Buster Shot; he fired the charged shot at the hole that Zero had just made.

He felt the air below him pulling him down, and the air above him pushing him downwards as well. He was planning on doing a mid-air recovery, but somehow, he found himself in Leviathan's arms. The siren smiled flirtatiously, letting him down. At the same time, the dragon's body crashed right next to Fefnir, who yelped in surprise.

"I guess we're even now. Isn't that right, Zero?"

"Hmph. It's not matter of debts or special treatment. We're partners. We're going to fight together to the end."

Fefnir cleared his throat. "Yeah, speaking of fight, can we get a move on? We got a mission to clear here, people!"

Leviathan rolled her eyes, nodding. "Yeah, yeah. Let's go."

However, as soon as they started walking again, the dragon rose again. Its high-pitched whine immediately grabbed the three's attention. Leviathan gritted her teeth in annoyance. "I've had enough of you!"

She held her halberd above her head and started twirling it, slowly gathering ice around it. The dragon weakly stood upright, before slowly lumbering towards her. The guardian yelled her battle cry, and fired a huge amount of concentrated ice, easily freezing the dragon, which fell down.

Leviathan took a deep breath, turning around. Zero looked at her with mild concern. "That must've taken out a lot of energy. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Zero. I may never be capable of defeating you, but I can still hold my own in battle. Same goes for Feffy there."

Fefnir pursed his lips, continuing to walk forward. "Feffy? Really? Come on. What if I called you Levy?"

"I think it would've been a bit cute and stupid at the same time, but a bit creepy coming from my brother."

"Creepy? What are you implying?"

"No time for small talk, you two. You can chat as much as you'd like when we get back to HQ. We still need to take care of the generators and Pegasolata Éclair."

"Nag, nag, nag." Leviathan muttered to herself, smiling a bit.

As they went back outside, they found that the wind was still going strong, but as always, they persevered. They continued destroying every generator and Maverick in their way, as well as avoiding the spikes as much as possible.

Eventually, they passed into a door that led into a narrow chamber, just like before they encountered Heat Genblem. As they entered, they found themselves looking at many platforms, before realizing they were standing on one as well.

Pegasolata Éclair was standing on the center platform, waiting for them. "I will smite the worthless vermin down below... Lord Weil came up with a plan as beautiful as myself. All ugly things must bow down before me. Pegasolta Eclair will send you to the depths below!"

Fighting Fefnir raised an eyebrow. "Jeez. Narcissistic, much?"

Leviathan chuckled. "I know, right?"

Éclair growled. "You will fear me soon…"

Immediately, without warning, Éclair dashed towards Fefnir, who was in front of his sister and Zero. Fefnir gasped, his eyes widening quick. Éclair stuck out his blades in front of him, and eventually, he felt his blades stab Fefnir, who yelled in pain. He winced greatly, gritting his teeth and closing one eye.

However, Fefnir then grinned, grabbing onto Éclair's arms. "Sorry, pal. You chose poorly. I'm the one with the most armor."

Fefnir wrestled with Éclair, who gasped when he realized that his blades were slowly exiting Fefnir's body, blood slowly dripping out of the wounds. But it wasn't that much blood, at least.

As soon as both blades exited his body, Fefnir kicked Éclair in the stomach, knocking him back. However, the narcissistic warrior quickly recovered, hovering in the air.

He hovered back a little, shooting electric bolts at the three. Fefnir and Leviathan jumped over to the platform in front of them. However, Zero dashed under the bolts, and he used his momentum from the dash to jump towards Éclair, clutching his Z-Saber, ready to stab him.

However, the job is never easy.

Éclair managed to block the stab with his own blades, causing Zero to bounce off. However, he managed to grab onto Pegasolta Éclair's leg.

Zero tried to stab his opponent's foot in an effort to ground him, but the wind and the constant activity of Éclair moving his body caused Zero to miss.

Pegasolta Éclair then pointed one of his blades at Zero, firing a thunderbolt at him. Zero flew off, but managed to catch one of the platforms, saving himself from certain death.

Meanwhile, Leviathan was charging some of her ice energy and waited for an opening, while Fefnir was trying to recover from his wounds. As soon as Zero was knocked off Éclair's leg, Fefnir shot a semi-charged shot at Éclair, who managed to dodge at the last second.

The Maverick then quickly swooped towards Fefnir, grabbing him by the shoulders with his feet, and throwing him at Leviathan's direction. However, since it was a quick throw, Fefnir's body luckily did not collide into his sister.

Meanwhile, Zero jumped up, and dashed on the first platform he was standing on, before dash-jumping towards Éclair once again. However, the Maverick expected this, and just before Zero could come into contact with his enemy, a powerful rain came out of nowhere.

The sudden emergence of the rain, combined with the power of the wind from before, was enough to push Zero all the way back to the platform. However, with Éclair distracted, he wasn't aware of Leviathan firing an onslaught of spiked ice balls at him.

Éclair tried to protect his "beautiful" self with his arms, though he felt scratches everywhere, and he was afraid the spikes would pierce his armor and go into his internal systems.

As soon as the onslaught stopped, Éclair got a better look at Leviathan. "Hmph. Tell me, youngling. What's a beautiful creature like you doing alongside these ugly creatures? Join us, and you will live to fight alongside the Einherjar."

Leviathan chuckled, slightly flattered, but the chuckle was from amusement at Éclair's stupidity. "You really think I'm gonna join you, big boy? Well, think again. I believe in justice. You're just a two-bit scumbag who thinks he's something big. But boy, you're a pathetic piece of shit."

Pegasolta Éclair clenched his fist, angered. "You dare insult me, fool?"

Leviathan nodded, smirking as she began charging her halberd again. "Yep. Fefnir, do your thing!"

"With pleasure." While Pegasolata Éclair was offering Leviathan to join, Fefnir had discreetly gotten up, and had charged up his arm cannon.

He fired three fully-charged shots at Éclair, who easily destroyed the shots with his blades. However, this was only a diversion, and Fefnir quickly jumped towards Éclair, who was about to stab Fefnir again, until he felt something land on his back. Zero.

Zero began slicing the Maverick's armor with his saber, while Fefnir was slamming his arm cannon in Éclair's face. Pegasolta Éclair roared in rage, and raised his blades upwards. He concentrated enough electricity to electrocute both Zero and Fefnir, who both fell down onto the platform below.

Immediately afterwards, Leviathan fired an ice beam from her halberd, and Éclair countered by firing his own electrical beam. However, Leviathan had more time to charge, and since Éclair had already used some of his energy electrocuting the two other warriors, his beam was significantly weaker.

Leviathan quickly gained the upper hand, and her ice beam easily froze Pegasolta Éclair. Fortunately, he wasn't hovering over a platform, so his body fell to certain death.

Fairy Leviathan then jumped over to the center platform, shaking Zero and Fefnir, who both weakly got up.

"That was good work, sis. You're almost as good as me now." Fefnir said jokingly, managing a weak smile.

Leviathan scoffed, before talking into her communications link. "Mission complete. Transfer us back, guys."

"Understood." Rouge said on the other end, and with that, the three were transferred back to the Resistance trailer.

* * *

><p><strong>Y'know, in my opinion, the stage chapters aren't really my strong suit. I'm more interested in the dramaticromantic aspects of the story, because I feel that the readers (you) will skip over the battle scenes, as you already know what's going to happen, and I don't blame you. Still, I'm not really going to do anything about it, so why am I talking about this?**


	10. Primary Directives

What Could Have Been  
>Chapter 10: Primary Directives<br>**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Mega Man Zero. It belongs to Capcom and Inti Creates.  
>AN: …I was thinking of RoboCop while thinking of the title for this chapter. I admit it. Okay?**

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><p>Subtlety wasn't Fefnir's strong point. Leviathan knew this better than anyone else, but she didn't expect her brother to bring her the news that he did. Well, she knew something was indeed up with Harpuia, but she didn't expect something like that. And she felt stupid, as she should have. The Caravan was a prime example…<p>

**Earlier…**

"_So, tell me, doc, what's up with Harpuia?" Fefnir asked Cerveau in his chamber. After the mission, Zero went into his room to rest, as did Leviathan. However, Fefnir cared deeply for his brother, despite their differences in personality. Sage Harpuia was just like Master X, and yet, how did Fefnir become who he was?_

_Cerveau's room had up to three beds. One of them belonged to him, and the other two was for patients. Of course, Harpuia was laying on one of them. There was a console next to the bed, and a chair, which the scientist himself was sitting on._

_Cerveau turned around, looking at Fefnir. His expression told the Guardian that bad news awaited him. "Fefnir, though you're technically reploids, and therefore you have free will in trains of thought and such, you were created specifically to protect others, and…that was supposed to be the main thing. See, when reploids are created, the only thing that can determine their personality is what is in their control chip, or what the purpose of their creation was, correct?"_

_Fefnir shrugged, pursing his lips. "Sure, old man."_

"_Please don't call me that. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that, you know how basically, you were programmed to always defend the innocent, fight evil, and all that jazz?"_

_The Guardian nodded. "Go on…" He really wanted to say Get on with it, but he restrained himself._

"_Well, it seems that Harpuia's circuitry systems have been damaged from battle concussions. See, come over here." He motioned Fefnir to come towards him, which we did. "Look at his helmet, and tell me what you see."_

_Fefnir observed the helmet, before quickly seeing a large crack in the back. He leaned closer in order to get a better look. Cerveau waited for his response._

_A few wires were worn out. Others were completely gone, or just torn from where they should have been connecting. His circuitry system was messed up._

_Fefnir leaned back, holding his chin in deep thought. Cerveau filled in the dots for him. "Because of the malfunctions in his brain due to his helmet wounds, he's lost the ability to see right from wrong. I'll do my best to help him."_

**Now**

"Levy, you gotta hear this!"

Leviathan crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. They were in her room. The female chuckled, because whenever Fefnir thought he had important news, it would usually turn out to be irrelevant, not a big deal, or something they already knew. "Okay. I'm listening."

"Harpuia…he's…his mental systems are apparently not working."

"What, you're calling him retarded?" Leviathan said jokingly, not realizing the urgency of the news at first.

"No. Sorta. Not really." Fefnir fumbled to find the right words. "According to Cerveau, he's lost the ability to be able to see right from wrong. His directives and priorities are all mixed up. If he gets up, he might do some crazy shit…"

"Okay. Nice to know. So what do we do with this info?"

Fefnir opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out for a little while. "I…uh…I don't know."

"That's what I thought. Still, it's nice to know why Harpuia's taking it easy, the lucky son of a bitch he is. If he were here, damn missions would be a bit easier…"

"Yeah, well…just let him rest for now, I guess."

Leviathan nodded, turning her back on Fefnir. "Alright, I'll go tell Zero, then. Thanks."

The guardian found Zero with Alouette, both of them feeding the cyber-elf Croire and teaching her talking, floating, and her useful cyber-elf uses. Well, at least Alouette was teaching her. Zero was just looking uncomfortable there. And awkward.

Leviathan called Zero over, deciding that Alouette didn't need to know about Harpuia. As he walked over to her, she whispered in his ear. "So, apparently…according to Fefnir, Harpuia isn't going to wake up for a little while."

Zero raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"The directives in his systems are screwed up. Think of him like…" Leviathan cleared her throat. "…Copy X."

"…But he's unconscious. And in no position to do anything just yet."

"Look, I'm just saying what Fefnir told me. For all we know, he could be as calm as a baby or as insane as Dr. Weil."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that…" Zero said as he rested his hand on his Buster Shot.

Leviathan frowned, crossing her arms. "Zero. Even though I may be sarcastic and distant to them, I care deeply for Harpuia and Fefnir. They're my brothers. They're the only family I've got…"

"At least you have something…to fight for." The crimson warrior muttered.

"What?"

Before Zero could try to find an answer, Croire suddenly yelled something. "I want some e-cwystals," she yelled with a huge smile plastered on her face. Alouette giggled, feeding the cyber-elf.

"Let's hope Croire will be useful on our missions." Zero said, trying to change the subject.

"Don't overwork her. She's still just a baby." Leviathan replied, nodding. Suddenly, she blinked, shaking her head. "Hey, wait a minute. Don't try to just change the subject like that!"

Zero said nothing. Leviathan continued. "What do you mean? If you have nothing to fight for, what gives you the will to fight? And why do you fight, then?"

The ancient warrior crossed his arms. "We've been over this. I fight because I was built to fight, and I'll keep on fighting my battles until I'm dead for good…"

"Isn't there a more…humane reason why you're fighting? A special someone in your life you remember? Hmm?"

Zero closed his eyes, remembering his memory. There were a few things missing, but nothing important. He remembered most of the important things by now. Some he wished he didn't remember. Like Iris. "I…" He shook his head. "No…"

"Oh, come on. You're such a bad liar!"

"Wha—?" Zero was about to say something, but he was quickly cut off.

"Is it Ciel? Hmm? Or is it yours truly?" She gave him a small smile.

The crimson warrior shook his head. "You're letting personal feelings get in the way. Stop this. We have to focus on Weil. Not some…insignificant feeling…"

"Well, I think—"

"This conversation is over. We already had one like this, and I don't intend to start it again…" He brushed her aside, making sure not to say any more.

Leviathan sighed, a worried expression growing on her face. Alouette walked over to her. "Is everything alright, Ms. Leviathan?"

The siren general nodded, putting on a reassuring smile. "Of course." She patted her head. "Now, run along or something. I've gotta go do something."

Alouette nodded, smiling. "Okay!" And she ran back to Croire, teaching her how to speak, use her powers, and whatnot.

And slowly…

Fate began to shift.

The battles were just beginning…

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><p><strong>Yeah, I can't comment this much on the chapter. Reviews, as always, are awesome to have.<strong>


	11. Routine

What Could Have Been  
>Chapter 11: Routine<br>**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Mega Man Zero. Capcom does.  
>AN: Damn, haven't written in a long time. Well, anyway, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for! Enjoy.**

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><p>Zero leaned against the wall, glancing at Rogue, who was giving information for the mission he and the two guardians were about to tackle. Neige and Ciel were standing at the side of the room, discussing something quietly.<p>

Rogue typed something on her holographic terminal, before beginning to speak. "This area used to belong to another resistance group. Now it's being used as a forward base by Weil. I'm detecting plant-like nanomachines. They seem to be thriving on the geothermal energy. At this rate, they'll continue until they engulf Area Zero. You three game?"

Fefnir nodded, slamming his right fist into his left palm. "Let's do this."

Leviathan crossed her arms. "Hmph. Typical Fefnir as always…" She muttered to herself, before nodding to Rogue's question.

Zero pushed himself away from the wall, also nodding. "Transfer us."

The navigator nodded. "Understood. Transferring in 3…2…1…" There was a blinding light, and before they knew it, the three fighters were already outside a forest.

Over the communications link, Rogue began to speak again. "This area is overflowing with nanomachines. It'd be best to destroy them."

Fefnir nodded. "Alrighty, then. Mission start!"

The three of them got a dashing start, and began running from there, destroying all of the Mavericks who stood in their way with relative ease. One fireball after another, a slice there, a stab here. It was just another routine mission, really.

They eventually reached an automatic door leading into a large tree-like foundation, which they opened. As they entered the foundation, they were greeted by a large variety of enemies, all of which were also easily terminated.

As they made their way downwards, the three of them jumped down with a grunt coming from each of them. "So, are we just going through the motions now?" Leviathan asked casually, attempting to spark a brief conversation.

Fefnir shrugged. "Meh. I mean, our missions are all relatively the same. We just make our ways through a stage and fight the big bad boss," he said as he shot down another Maverick.

Zero nodded, agreeing with Fefnir. "Though things are changing around the base, I wonder what that cyber-elf, Croire, will be like, and how she'd be useful in battle," he replied as he sliced yet another one in half.

As they made their way forward, they found a large barricade of vines blocking their way. Zero prepared to slice them all, but Fefnir stepped forward, prompting Zero to step back. Fefnir charged up his cannon, and fired a large fireball through the vines, clearing a path for them.

He nodded at Zero, and the three warriors continued to make their way through the treacherous foundation. They moved, and eventually found themselves in a small chamber, which started shaking violently. Fefnir nearly fell over, as did Leviathan, but Zero stood his ground. "Be wary and stay focused, you two."

Suddenly, something rose from the ground. It was a robot with the shape of a bug. And it had a flamethrower. That alone scared Leviathan.

The android started moving towards the three warriors, activating its flamethrower. Zero quickly leaped up, landing on the platform above. Leviathan quickly followed, as did Fefnir.

"Stay back!" Zero warned, drawing his Buster Shot. They did so, and when the hostile machine made its way up to the platform they were standing on, it met a charged shot. It barely winced, and continued going on.

Fefnir grunted, and quickly jumped down, followed by his comrades. "We should flank it!" He suggested quickly.

Leviathan nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea. Let's do it."

Zero also nodded as well. "Alright, you two distract it. I'll see what I can do." The crimson warrior made his move when Leviathan and Fefnir began holding the Maverick off. He ran back to the left of the room, before jumping onto the platform again, before quickly dashing to the other end of it. By the time he reached the end of the platform, the Mechaniloid was already back down, so he jumped down again, facing the creature's back.

He fired a charged shot from his Buster Shot, followed by three smaller energy pellets, which caught the Mechaniloid's attention quickly, as it turned around and spit a bomb at Zero. He gasped, and jumped onto the wall to avoid the explosion.

Fefnir and Leviathan took this diversion to shoot their projectiles at the enemy, who whined in pain. It then roared, and as it quickly turned around, it activated its flamethrower again and moved towards the two Guardians, who fled back up to the platform once more.

Zero then sparked an idea, and holstered his Buster Shot, activating his Z-Knuckle. As he made his way around the chamber, it all happened in a flash.

A minute or two must've passed by, because everyone was already back down on the ground. Once again, Leviathan and Fefnir were cornered, expecting the android to turn around in an attempt to destroy Zero.

But instead…

They saw Zero jump on top of the android, slamming his Z-Knuckle fist into the Maverick's head, before violently pulling back, the parts of the flamethrower in his hands. Quickly, he then drew his saber, ramming it into the hole he had created from the Z-Knuckle.

The Maverick roared in pain, before going offline, dying. Zero sighed in relief, deactivating his Z-Knuckle, but kept his saber out. "…Let's go. We can't waste any time."

Fefnir quickly regained his senses, nodding. "Agreed." He and Leviathan followed Zero out of the chamber. Leviathan took a deep breath, composing herself, though she knew that the battle was far from over.

They fought even more enemies, though most of them were just cannons mounted onto the walls. They came to the edge of the ground they were standing on, and as they looked down, there seemed to be what looked like very small platforms, and they all jumped down at the same time.

Zero and Leviathan landed safely, but due to Fefnir's weight, the platform immediately gave way as soon as he landed. However, Zero quickly grabbed ahold of his hand, preventing him from falling. But then his own platform gave way as well.

The two of them fell down and down, until Zero grabbed onto the edge of a platform with a loud grunt, before it gave way. Fortunately, by the time Zero had grabbed ahold of the small platform, he was only about 10 feet in the air, so the fall wasn't too bad.

The crimson knight, however, clutched his hand painfully, but auto-repairs would fix it. Leviathan landed on the ground graciously with a chuckle. "Men. Always so clumsy."

Fefnir got up, rubbing his backside painfully. "Ow. Shut up, Leviathan."

"At least I didn't make a fat joke." She said playfully.

Zero cleared his throat. "Shall we proceed?" Not waiting for an answer, he dashed into a door, which automatically opened for him. The two of them quickly followed, fighting through more and more Mavericks, shooting through more vines, and navigating across platforms.

Eventually, they reached what they were looking for. Well, "who" they were looking for. The Einherjar warrior, Noble Mandrago.

They all stood in a chamber, bigger than the one they had fought the previous android in. "My, my. I thought some rats managed to sneak in, but it's you three," she said with a giggle. "You're going through a lot of trouble for the environment, y'know. Too bad that trouble will be wasted."

Fefnir gritted his teeth, discreetly charging his arm cannon. "Don't be so sure. We're more than a challenge, I assure you."

"Tch. You have no hope of stopping Ragnarok. If you're just going to waste energy…" Noble Mandrago got into position, "give it to me. I'll drain you all dry!"

"I'd like to see you try, sister!" Fefnir bellowed, firing his charged shot at her. However, the warrior quickly dug into the ground, and out of sight.

"Spread out!" Zero commanded. Leviathan dashed to the other side of the room, while Zero ran over to the middle, and Fefnir stayed where he was.

Noble Mandrago peeked from the ground, appearing between Zero and Fefnir. However, she was beneath the Guardian's line of sight, so she was in the clear. The Einherjar fired something at Zero. It was…it felt and smelled like honey.

Probably because it _was_ honey.

Zero gasped in surprise, but when he turned around, he only saw a glimpse of Mandrago before she drilled herself into the ground again. Suddenly, robotic bees appeared out of nowhere, and they were all flying towards the drenched war hero.

Zero twirled his saber, warning the bees to stay back, but they advanced forward, rushing towards him with sharp stingers. Leviathan was about to knock them out of the sky, but something caught her leg. Mandrago appeared right in front of her, and sharply grabbed her leg, pulling on it so she'd fall down. The siren gasped, falling down before she could fire an ice projectile.

So now, it was up to Fefnir, who fired several small fireballs at the bees, though Zero took care of most of them. When the bees had gone, he quickly tried to wipe the honey off of his vest and clothing so no more bees would appear.

Leviathan jumped up, and saw Noble Mandrago peek right behind Zero. She readied her weapon, and fired several ice projectiles at the Einherjar before she could do anything. Zero quickly turned around, and looked down, seeing Mandrago. He instinctively raised his foot, slamming it down in attempt to step on her head. However, Mandrago quickly retreated before that could happen.

Fefnir stepped closer, standing next to Zero now. However, that was a mistake. It allowed Mandrago to do a special attack she'd been waiting to do.

The Einherjar warrior appeared in the spot Fefnir originally was standing in. She then started spinning so fast that she looked like a spinning top with razor blades, and she rushed towards the three warriors. Zero ran back into the wall, where he and Leviathan jumped up the wall.

Fefnir, being the headstrong warrior, held his ground. He stuck his arms out, holding Mandrago in place and preventing her from moving forward. The only downside was, though, that her blades were cutting Fefnir. The blades dug through his armor, and into his bodysuit.

"Damn you—Owowowowowowowow!" Fefnir screamed in pain, feeling blood come out of his wound, which was getting bigger by the minute.

He shoved Mandrago back in a surge of strength, and when she continued to charge towards Fefnir, he was ready. He stepped back, thrusting his arm cannon straight forward. Just as Mandrago was about to slice'n dice Fefnir, her face collided into the arm cannon, and Fefnir immediately pulled the trigger, firing at Mandrago.

She yelped in pain, flying back into the wall. Leviathan landed in front of her brother, pushing her back. "Stay back, Fefnir! Remember, ice can burn just as much as fire can!" She closed her eyes, focusing on collecting her energy. Her eyes flipped open, and she fired an ice beam from her hands.

Mandrago grunted loudly. Fire and ice were very bad for plants. But when you put them together, she had no chance.

_Nonsense! They will die! THEY! WILL! DIE! _Mandrago pushed herself forward, trying to ignore the ice beam, and just before she gave in, Leviathan stopped, slumping, as the ice beam had taken a lot of energy from her.

However, it took a while for Noble Mandrago to realize that her movements had slowed down radically. She then heard footsteps behind her, and as she turned around, she gasped, and the last thing she ever saw was Zero slicing her head off.

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><p><strong>So, guys! What do you think? Reviews, pl0x?<strong>


	12. Gemini Warrior

What Could Have Been  
>Chapter 12: Gemini Warrior<br>**DISCLAIMER: Mega Man Zero, as a whole, belongs to Capcom and Inti Creates.**

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><p>Zero sighed, standing outside, leaning against the trailer. Ciel had recommended that he should rest, but he felt restless. His mind was too…active. He had a lot to think about. He was still trying to figure out this feeling called "love." He was wondering what Harpuia would do when he'd wake up. He pondered on the Four Guardians, and how they were like X.<p>

His best friend, X. They had fought together for decades, their bond unbreakable. And yet, it was all forgotten. But had Zero remembered it all? Well, he got the basic idea, but specific memories were the ones he longed to recollect.

He then began to compare Sage Harpuia to X. They both believed in justice, and not just getting the job done efficiently, but doing it without too much bloodshed. After all, back then, their primary goal was to protect the innocent humans and Reploids.

However, now, it isn't so black and white. Reploids aren't innocent anymore. They're just all Maverick from now on. When he first met Harpuia, he knew he had a strong sense of justice, and he put heart and passion into his actions, but he had the wrong motivations and objectives. This weakness applied to the rest of the Four Guardians.

However, when Copy X MK-II and Dr. Weil striked, Harpuia and the Guardians had managed to open their minds, and see the error in the villains' ways. They turned on Weil, aiding Zero in the fight against Omega.

Zero found that Harpuia was the most like X. With a strong sense of justice, he was also a fearsome opponent in battle. Though Hidden Phantom was extremely loyal to his Master X, he lacked the same sense of justice and a pure heart. Zero observed that Leviathan wasn't exactly too fond of violence, but kept on doing it anyway without complaining. Fefnir had the same physical strengths of X, but that was about it.

In fact, Fefnir reminded him of Axl.

_Wait a minute. _Zero blinked, raising an eyebrow. _Axl? That's odd. Who is this Axl? And where did this thought come from? Is this another uncovered memory? I feel as though I know this boy. Probably because I used to._

Zero grunted, trying to remember more, but couldn't quite do it. He shook his head, and just as he gave up trying to remember, he suddenly had a horrible headache. He gritted his teeth, groaning slightly as he clutched his helmet.

_Argh. Maybe Ciel was right. I guess I really should rest._

However, when Zero stepped forward, it felt as though there was suddenly a stone boulder on his back. He stumbled forward, and he suddenly lost control of his legs. It felt like they were moving completely on their own. He kept on moving, but then he suddenly skidded to a halt, and he fell down.

He suddenly felt like his energy was drained, and it felt like his eyes closed by themselves. It wasn't long until he passed out and lost consciousness.

_**Zero. Zero…wake up.**_

The crimson warrior eventually heard a familiar voice in his head. Was it…was it X? It certainly sounded like him, but that was impossible. He was gone from this world now. But Zero could never forget that calm voice. With that innocent and caring edge to it.

He tried to say something, but all that came out was a small murmur. "X..."

Suddenly, something odd happened. Actually, the term "odd' would've been the biggest understatement of the century. Zero saw himself in a room. A briefing room, to be precise. There were computers beeping everywhere. There was a blue Reploid, clearly X, but there was also a boy. A Reploid boy in black with spiky brown hair, and a scar on his face.

…_Is that…someone from my past? _Zero thought. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

He then saw a Reploid female with pink armor and blond hair. They all seemed to be talking about something. X looked like he was deeply troubled about something, and Zero didn't know what to do or say.

"Darn!" X suddenly muttered to himself.

The blonde female raised an eyebrow. "X? What's the matter? The mission's only just begun…"

_That voice…_Zero thought. _This is…Alia? Was that her name? Yeah. That's it._

X nodded. "That's right. It's begun again," he said darkly. "How long must this war go on?"

The woman named Alia didn't know what to say. The boy suddenly burst into the conversation. "Just the thought of wiping the floor with those Mavericks makes my trigger finger itch!"

"Axl!" Alia looked at the boy, clearly annoyed.

X shook his head, sighing. "No, Alia. Axl's right. There's no time to be wishy-washy here. Even as we speak, Mavericks are causing havoc."

And just like that, the conversation was over. Zero looked at these people, puzzled. Suddenly, everything faded to black again, but the color eventually returned to his eyesight. He was in the same room, but something was different.

Suddenly, there was a female voice. It also sounded familiar, like everything else so far. "Great job, Zero."

Zero turned around, seeing a purple haired female Reploid. "Huh?" The crimson warrior was puzzled, but decided to just take the compliment, whatever it was meant to be for. "Oh, err…thanks."

Then there was another voice. High pitched and upbeat. Also familiar as well. "Zero, have you forgotten already?" Another Reploid appeared alongside the purple haired one. "I'm Pallette. This here is Layer." She nodded at her friend. "Don't forget about us."

Zero crossed his arms. "Oh, sorry…" He muttered.

…_I've already forgotten about you. Is this supposed to be a trip through my memory? _Zero thought to himself.

"Layer wanted to talk to you and waited here the whole time for your return. Right, Layer?" Pallette said teasingly, causing Zero to raise an eyebrow.

"…What is it, Layer?" Zero asked, looking at the purple haired navigator, who was clearly blushing.

"Um…I did some research, but I'm unable to determine Lumine's location." She looked down, though it was still clear that her face was as red as a cherry. "Um…a-anyway…that's all."

_Lumine? Damn, all these familiar names and faces…maybe this IS a journey… _Zero tried to think of a simple phrase. "Hmph. Well, no matter what the Mavericks are up to, it looks like I'll have to stop them."

Zero was getting a mental rush. It was all slowly coming back to him now, but he had an uneasy feeling that when he was going to grasp the very foundations that made up his memory, something was going to take these foundations away from him. As if these memories no longer belonged to him.

_**Zero! Are you there? Wake up!**_

Zero groaned, opening his eyes. He was back in his time. The present. Where he belonged. The first thing he saw was Ciel looking over him. The century-old warrior placed a hand on his forehead, realizing he had a headache.

"A-Are you okay, Zero? We found you lying unconscious just outside the trailer," Ciel asked, concerned. And with good reason.

Zero looked around. To his left was the bed in which Harpuia was lying on top of, and a console, with a desk and a chair. Zero then turned to the right, seeing another console and such, but Cerveau was typing away on his computer. "Yeah, I was afraid we got a surprise attack from the Einherjar for a minute," the technician stated.

"Hmph. Leviathan and Fefnir could've taken them on." Zero muttered.

Cerveau simply shrugged, before looking at Ciel. "Neige would like to speak with you whenever you're ready, Ciel."

The blonde teenager nodded, her attention focusing on Zero for the most part. "Yeah…I'll check with her in a moment. I just want to make sure Zero will be alright…"

Cerveau nodded, looking back at his computer. "Okay, then. Like I said, whenever you're ready."

Zero attempted to sit up, but it was a bit difficult. However, he persevered, and managed to successfully do so. "Don't worry about me, Ciel. I'll be fine."

Ciel suddenly hugged Zero, catching the warrior by surprise. "Still…I can't bear the thought of ever losing you, Zero…"

Zero sighed, closing his eyes. If he were to die, who knows what would happen? He wasn't sure how Fefnir and Leviathan would be able to hold their own against the Einherjar, as the missions proved to be more difficult without Harpuia. He wondered what it would've been like to have to endure these trials by himself…

"Huh, that's…that's weird," Cerveau suddenly said, staring intently on his computer.

Ciel then let go of Zero, shifting her attention to the technician. "What is it, Cerveau?"

Cerveau ignored Ciel, looking at the war-torn veteran. "Zero…did anything happen in your mind while you were…out?"

"…" Zero didn't know what to say. Should he tell Cerveau? Well, he had nothing to lose. "I had…a strange experience…" He simply murmured.

The scientist raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Do tell."

"It felt like I was going through a journey through time. Through my memories. At least, what I think were my memories. Because everything was so familiar. I was in some sort of briefing chamber. And the 'Navigators' were talking about exterminating Mavericks and such…"

Zero stopped, trying to remember the rest. Cerveau crossed his arms, nodding. "And then…?"

"And then…I saw X. A younger X. Apparently, we were the…" Zero blinked, suddenly remembering the term in his forgotten memory. "The Maverick Hunters!"

"Maverick Hunters?" Cerveau put a hand on his chin thoughtfully, before looking at Ciel. "Do you think that the hibernation sickness is wearing off?"

Ciel simply shrugged, before looking back at Zero. "Do you remember anything else, Zero?"

Zero thought for a while, shrugging. "Well, there was another instance where a purple-haired navigator was talking to me, but aside from that, that was it. They all knew who I was, and it seemed to me like I knew who they were."

Cerveau pursed his lips. "Well…you probably did. In your other life…"

"Tch. My other life? This is only just another body. I'm the same Zero I've always been."

Cerveau raised an eyebrow. "That's not what my data says."

"Hmph. What's that supposed to mean?"

Cerveau shifted a bit uncomfortably, but stood up, looking at Zero. "There's something within you that's been repressed for a small while now."

"Define small." Zero sneered.

"About a week? Somewhere around that time, but that's not important," Cerveau shrugged, "What's important, though, is that with your memory returning, your…how should I say this?" He looked up in thought, before snapping his fingers. "Your…original personality is returning."

Zero nearly snorted. "My what? My original personality? Cerveau, I'm willing to bet you I've acted the same way throughout my entire life."

"Oh, yeah?" There was a voice in the doorway. Everyone looked that way, seeing Fairy Leviathan leaning against the wall.

Ciel gasped. "How long have you been standing here?"

"The entire time," Leviathan shrugged, "This isn't a private conversation, is it?"

Zero shook his head as he looked at Ciel. "No, of course not…"

Ciel sighed, nodding. "Anyway, do you have any say to this matter, Leviathan?"

Leviathan pulled away from the wall, nodding as she looked at Zero. "You said that you were part of the Maverick Hunters back when you fought alongside Master X?"

"Basically…" Zero said, nodding. "What are you getting at?"

"Remember our last talk? About what you thought about justice? And your thoughts on morality, all that jazz?"

Zero blinked. "…I do."

"Then why'd you join the Maverick Hunters in the first place? If you can remember with that delicate memory of yours, of course…"

_You're a difficult woman, Leviathan. There's some love/hate in there… _Zero thought. Then he remembered what Leviathan said some time ago.

_**Sooner or later, you'll crash, both mentally and physically. **__That's what she said. Was Leviathan right? Was this what she meant?_

Ciel responded for Zero. "Because he believes in justice! Why else?"

"No, it's because this is what he was made for. Destroying the Mavericks. Isn't that right, Zero? After all, you said it yourself."

Cerveau cleared his throat. "I have an explanation. According to the data I've collected from Zero's control chip, there are two personalities. The first, being his personality that fully remembers the events of the Maverick Wars and such. His original personality…"

Leviathan nodded. "And the other personality…?"

"This new personality. This new…persona was created when Passy forced Zero out of his sleep…"

Zero blinked. "Passy?"

Ciel nodded glumly. "Passy was the cyber-elf who managed to force you awake from your potentially eternal slumber. I still miss her…"

Cerveau put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. Look what she did though. She managed to awaken Zero and defeat Copy X."

Zero nodded, slowly standing up. "I did, but remember, Dr. Weil rules Neo Arcadia now. The battle isn't over just yet…"

Leviathan frowned. "Well, I think the persona idea is really stupid."

Cerveau shrugged. "Think what you may, it is what it is…"

Zero sighed. "Don't worry. This won't affect my performance on the missions. I'll be fine. You all have my word."

Ciel crossed her arms. "So what do we do about this?"

"Absolutely nothing." Zero grunted.

"A-Are you sure?" Ciel stammered, a bit surprised. She didn't expect a reply like that. And so blunt, at that.

"Like I said, it's not going to affect my performance on the mission."

"Yeah, but what if it happens in the middle of a mission?" Ciel pressed on, concerned.

"It won't," Zero said, a bit annoyed now, giving Ciel a cold glare, which unnerved her, causing her to stop pressing forward, despite her remaining thoughts and doubts.

The girl just uneasily nodded, taking a step back. Zero brushed aside Ciel and Leviathan, walking out the door. He knew he had to escape from these memories. This wasn't…important.

_This will not interfere with my mission. Weil will be stopped. I'll see this through the end. This mission will always come first…_

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><p>Hmm, is it just me, or does the whole "two personas" thing suddenly seem like it'll turn a few readers off? Eh, we'll see. Still, I need mah reviews! Please? I'll be your best friend!<p> 


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